Paper Mario 4: Rule of Darkness
by Onatu
Summary: Mario sets off on a new adventure, with brand new partners on a quest to recover the Mega Stars. Old villains return, and who is the mysterious newcomer? Also, T to be safe.
1. Prologue

Okay, so this is my first fanfiction, so any help will be quite useful. Every little bit helps make it better in the long run. I have the story already planned out for the most part, but I am writing this when I can, so it will be updated whenever possible.  
Okay, so from what I've seen here, I need to put up a disclaimer, so:

Disclaimer: I do not own Mario, Dimentio, Luigi, Bowser, or any Mario characters for that matter. However I do own the shadow guy, and some upcoming characters (I'm not going to go spoil things right here and now!)

Prologue

It had been six months since the defeat of Dimentio, and life had returned to what it used to be. Every last trace of the Dark Prognosticus had been destroyed. Mario and friends went back home to the Mushroom Kingdom. The worlds began to rebuild after the havoc Count Bleck had wreaked only months before. Bowser went back to kidnapping Peach on almost weekly attempts, and of course was stopped each time. Eventually, people began to forget what had happened such a short time ago, but that was soon to change.

_Outer limits of the Mushroom Kingdom, around the area where Bowser holds domain._

The landscape was dark. Black, ominous clouds hung low in the sky. Bowser's Castle lay in the distance, surrounded by a lake of molten lava. Rivers of the stuff cut through the earth, the glow rising up as the only light source in the land. The rest of the area was desolate, with no living creatures around, and only a few torched trees left standing.

Suddenly, a slight breeze picked up. It blew across the gray earth, picking up bits of dirt as it went. The air began to ripple in a section of the air, as a box-like portal expanded and closed, leaving a medium-sized being behind.

To say that it creature was strange was an underestimate. It had a spiked head, no visible arms, and a face half black, half white. Perhaps the most striking feature was an odd purple and yellow clothing color.

It slowly floated up and down in the same position as it surveyed its surroundings, taking in what it saw. It calculated where it was, and began to think of its next move. A moment later, it spoke.

"Ah, and like the re-opening of a beloved circus, I, Dimentio, have risen!" said the being called "Dimentio." "It has been so very long since I have been able to breathe air and actually live once more! And to think, I was so close to destroying all worlds by the power of the Chaos Heart. If only that fool Blumiere and his beloved Timpani hadn't created more Pure Hearts, my victory would have been ensured..."

As Dimentio continued his ramblings, he lost all awareness with the world around him. Because of this, he failed to notice the swirling mass of shadowy particles quickly approaching him. Within a few more seconds, the swarmed him, enclosing him within a large black box.

"Hmm, now this seems to be a bit of trouble, isn't it?" mused Dimentio. "Oh well, I'm sure that I could easily escape-with magic!"

And with a snap of his fingers, Dimentio attempted a quick escape to teleport out of the box. A sudden burst of energy through the box held him back, striking him with an intense amount of pain.

"ARGH! Well, *huff* I suppose *huff* I won't be trying *huff* that again, will I?"

"Do not dare try to escape. Escape is impossible, and will only result in your death," said a rasping voice that emanated throughout the cube-like structure.

"And who do I have the displeasure to be speaking to?" asked Dimentio.

"My name is of no importance. However, I must ask you, are you Dimentio, the one who betrayed Count Bleck?"

"If I say yes, am I free to go?"

"We will decide upon that when you answer. Now, you are Dimentio, are you not?" said the voice, albeit more frustrated this time.

'I suppose there's no getting out of this,' thought Dimentio. "Oh well. To answer your question, yes I am Dimentio. The Pleaser of Crowds and almost destroyer of all worlds!" he said with a quick somersault in the air.

"Then I have a proposition for you: join up with me and assist me in helping to defeat Mario, and you'll share in the power that we'll gain. Do you agree with this?"

Dimentio floated in a circle for a few seconds, pondering what to say next.

"Well, the offer, while tempting, is something I simply must refuse. You see, I do not want any amount of power if I cannot have all of it."

"That's too bad. Because you must accept, or I will destroy you."

"Destroy me? My good man, I believe you are quite mistaken. For you see, I could no doubt destroy you without even batting an eyelash."

The voice didn't seem phased by this. "If you doubt my power, then why not try a taste of what I can produce?" said the voice, as a surge of energy burst through the box, laying heavy damage upon Dimentio.

"Uncle! Uncle I say and have mercy upon me!" yelled Dimentio as he tried his best to reduce the pain induced upon him by the burst.

"So you see what I am capable of now? Are we in agreement? You help me defeat Mario, and you can get a share of the power and control we shall have?" asked the voice.

"Well, I guess I have no other choice," Dimentio said. "Sign me up for your cause."

"Excellent." All of a sudden, the box began to break away, as the particles began to reconstitute into a more humanoid shape. The entire body consisted of the dark particles, except for the head and the hands, which were pure white. The hands were simple two-fingered and one thumb parts, and the head had empty, white sockets for eyes, as well as a mask-like covering for the mouth. No other features could be distinguished on it, no matter how hard you looked.

"Now we shall discuss the contents of my plan. Listen well, for you play a crucial part in this, and your reward shall be great. So tell me, just what do you know about the Mega Stars?" asked the being, as both it and Dimentio warped out of the area, returning it to its unsettling calm darkness once again.


	2. Chapter 1

Yeah, basic chapter to start it off after the prologue.

Disclaimer: I don't own any Mario characters used in this story. I'll say something when I do, but I guess I own this story.

Chapter 1: The Start of Something New

As of current, it had now been a year since the ruckus Dimentio had caused with the Chaos Heart, and most of the excitement had died down. Everyone went back to normal routines, and above all, it was a wonderful time to be living in the Mushroom Kingdom.

Besides that, other local occurrences had kept life busy. Toad Town had been steadily growing over the past few years, and now was at least twice the size of what it had been back when Bowser had stolen the Star Rod. The port had grown to a much grander area for trade, as well as an increase in the use of the local train.

_At Mario's house_

Mario and Luigi were inside, chatting about the past week, and how interesting things had been. Apparently, Mario's old friend Kooper had assisted Professor Kolorado in another successful expedition, this time finding remnants of an ancient civilization that had worshipped Chain Chomps as gods.

Everything else had been rather normal for the two brothers, with the almost weekly kidnapping attempts on Peach. Of course, Mario was there to stop Bowser every time, and in recent times, it seemed he had almost given up. He hadn't tried another scheme in the past few weeks, so Mario and Luigi had begun to relax and enjoy the quiet they had. That was going to change for them, and sooner than they may have wished.

"Aw, this job can get really frustrating sometimes!" said the mail carrier Parakarry, as he stood hunched over picking up several letters he had dropped. "It seems that the mail is never consistent. There are always a few letters one day, and a mail bag threatening to spill over the next. But, it's all a part of the job. Sometimes, I think that the boss is trying to mess with me."

A few minutes later, he had the mess cleaned, and was back on his way to finishing the day's route.

"So, the next house will be…Ah-ha! Mario's place! I wonder how he's been doing…" stated the paratroopa, as he slowly flew down to the Mario Bros.' mailbox. "Mail call!" he shouted as he placed a letter in the box, and flew off once again to continue his unrelenting job.

At this, Luigi walked out of the house and grabbed the letter out of the box. Taking a look at it, he went back inside to show Mario.

"Hey Mario, check this out!" yelled Luigi.

Mario, who had been almost asleep from Luigi's previous ramblings of yesterday's shopping events, quickly jerked his head back up. He looked at Luigi questioningly for a second, before Luigi spoke again.

"It's a letter addressed to you. Here, let me read it to you," said the green plumber, as Mario had been getting up to grab the letter. "It says, 'Mario: I have been plotting this day for years, after watching the failures of the past. I hope this does get through to you, so that you may know that, Princess Peach has been kidnapped by me. Plus, I have gotten rid of the Mega Stars, entrusting them to several people I can count on guarding them. That way, you will have more than enough trouble to actually get me this time. I bid you a good journey to find her, for I wish for us to find out who is truly stronger. But if you are destroyed beforehand, I will not care, for this may as well be the most dangerous journey you have been on. And I will have the satisfaction of never dealing with you again. Enjoy your foolish attempt to save her and the Stars,'" Luigi finished the letter and looked up at Mario. "That's it. There's no signature or anything, Mario. Who do you think did this? I mean, the Mega Stars are the ultimate power source for the Mushroom Kingdom. Without them, we'll lose everything." said Luigi.

"Hmm…" said Mario, as he brought his hand to his chin in a thinking gesture.

"Do you think it was-" Luigi began.

"MARIO! LUIGI! HELP!"

"What? Who's that bro?" Luigi asked, but his question was answered when a Toad burst through the door.

"Mario! Luigi! Princess Peach has been kidnapped!" shouted the frantic Toad, trying his best to calm down.

Mario was thoroughly shocked, especially as to how the Toads just found out that Peach was missing, when he had been told so in the letter only moments before.

"Wait, was it Bowser again?" questioned Luigi.

"It had to have been, there isn't anyone else who could have!"

"Did you even check?"

"Well, we sent a scout Toad to check out Bowser's Castle, but he hasn't gotten back-"

"Sir, I've got news!" shouted the before mentioned scout Toad as he rushed into the house as well.

"Well, spit it out!" said the other Toad.

"Well, I ran as fast as I could to see if Bowser truly had a role in this, and…he wasn't there. In fact, the entire castle was deserted. No sign of the Koopa Troop anywhere."

"Then it had to have been Bowser, right bro?" asked Luigi.

Mario quickly nodded his head in agreement.

"So I guess this is the start of another adventure, huh bro? Wait a second, can I come?!"

Mario nodded again, although a bit reluctantly. He knew Luigi could prove to be a valuable asset in the future, but he was still the cowardly younger brother he had always known.

"Yahoo! Another chance for Luigi to shine!"

"Well, I guess I bid you good luck Mario Bros." said one Toad

"Yeah, please come back with the princess in one piece!" said the other.

And that's the end to the first chapter. Sorry if it'll be a bit slow at first, I promise things'll pick up as time goes on. I just need to get the story going.


	3. Chapter 2

**Yeah, first review has come in! Thanks for that, I hope everyone who reads this does enjoy the story. Like I said, it will be a bit slow as I put things together, but not to worry, it'll start to pick up soon. I hope this is enough to satisfy for now.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything Mario. Lucky Shigeru Miyamoto. However, I do own Shelly, and any other characters that are obviously not from other games.**

Chapter 2: Help from a Local

Mario and Luigi exited the warp pipe in Toad Town, hopping out onto the solid earth. They began to walk across town, before they noticed a hooded figure outside of a building with a spinning roof. Recognizing the being as Merlon, they waved in acknowledgement. At this, he slowly motioned for the two to come into his building. The Mario Bros. looked at each other with puzzled expressions, but followed.

Upon entering, Merlon walked to the other side of the large room, and took a deep breath before beginning to speak.

"The Mega Stars have been stolen, as I am sure you both already know. This is a grave time indeed, for without them, the Mushroom Kingdom will be without any power, and it's only a matter of time before it runs out. I have already looked into my crystal ball and seen that alone, you will not know where to recover them. It seems Bowser has hidden them well, and entrusted them to truly fearful beings. That is where this comes in," the wizened sorcerer said, as he held up a small device. It was octagonal box, with a black upper part, and the bottom half silver. The top housed a glass-like dome with a star within it, sporting a red tip on its top-most point. "This is the Star Navigator. It will project a holographic map leading to the next start every time you acquire a new star, with the red point leading you on. Here, take a look." said Merlon, as he handed it to Mario.

As Mario held it, the device seemed to spring to life. A blue light emitted from within, creating a small map that projected the Star as being eastward.

Luigi, who had been looking over Mario's shoulder at the map, quickly recognized the structure which the Star was being kept.

"Hey bro!" he said, "Isn't that the old Koopa Bros. fortress? I thought that the Bob-ombs took it back and were using it, didn't you?"

Mario nodded in agreement. He wondered what was going on, since the Bob-ombs did seem to have a good control over the place, especially with the help of Bombette.

"Well then, I believe you two will be off? I wish you both the best of luck on this quest, for I fear that this will not be an easy task to retrieve the Stars. I can sense that things will only become harder from here on out. Godspeed." said Merlon, as the Mario Bros. thanked him for his help and exited the building. Only moments after they left, the power went out across Toad Town, throwing everyone, but Merlon, into mass confusion. "Hmm, that was sooner than expected. Oh well, now just where did I leave those spare candles. I think I'm going to need a lot of them…" he mumbled as his voice slowly trailed off as he began blindly searching through the darkness.

Mario and Luigi were shocked, to say the least. Never had they seen the citizens of Toad Town in such a chaotic, frenzied state, all because their power was lost. And the sky seemed to have dimmed quite a bit, so it was just slightly brighter than Twilight Town. Although it seemed Rowf and Rhuff seemed to be taking this to their advantage, selling some high powered candles that lasted days at a time, for a hundred coins apiece. Business was booming.

At once, the brothers made their slow trek across town, trying to avoid being run down by any terrorized Toads. After a good half hour, they covered the fifty feet needed to get out of the town. The Toads were screaming their heads off, running about like raving lunatics.

The Mario Bros. shrugged it off with perplexed faces, and continued the trek out of town. From this point, they found the forest path to be eerily quiet. They slowly crept their way through the area, trying to be careful in case any rogue Goombas or Koopas were hiding in the trees or bushes. It only took Mario to step on a twig for Luigi to completely lose it.

"YAAAAHHHHHHH!" screamed Luigi, jumping up into the air and landing in Mario's arms Scooby-Doo style. Mario was surprised by the incident, and subsequently dropped Luigi moment later. However, that didn't stop them from waking up a few angry Goombas nearby.

"Hey, whatever happened to beauty sleep, eh? I was just about to enjoy this darkness and get some needed shut-eye, but then you twos come and make that ruckus. You guys are gonna pay, right guys?" said the apparent "leader."

"Uh, right sir!"

"Yeah, right sir"

"I NEEDS MAH SLEEP!"

"…Right. But yeah, yous guys are gonna pay now! Charge!" yelled the leader as he and the others came at a frontal attack to the Mario Bros.

Mario and Luigi quickly jumped out o the way, and proceeded to regroup. Mario pulled out his hammer, and whacked one Goomba into the other, taking them out rather quickly. Luigi then performed a super-jump, landing extremely hard on top of the third Goomba, leaving just the leader. He ran up, jumped, and hit Mario square in the head. Mario came back with his hammer and swung, but the Goomba merely jumped back and out of the way. Luigi tried jumping onto the Goomba, but he side-stepped the attack easily.

All the while, a short being was hidden back behind a tree, watching the scene unfold.

"The others weren't kidding. These two are tough. But obviously, they need help. At least I know how to deal with these fools," whispered the creature to itself.

As the fight progressed, it was evident that the Mario Bros. weren't going to win this. They had no items, and they had tried every trick in the book, even teaming up for some dual attacks. This Goomba was good, they knew that. If only they could lay a hit on him.

"You guys givin' up already? Man, I though the Mario Bros. were tougher than this. This is nothin'. I guess it's time to end this now though, gotta get back to my sleep," said the Goomba, as the prepped himself for one last attack.

"Mario," said Luigi." "I don't think we'll beat him. He's got us, and we have the odds for us! I think we should just-"

"That's it Goomba, you're out of here!" yelled a clearly feminine voice. Immediately after the outburst, a shape quickly jumped out from behind a tree, coming straight for the surprised Goomba. He was completely unprepared, and was hit by a full force ramming head butt by the creature. Crying out, he was launched back a few feet, before dropping back from behind the brush he had been in before.

"Well, that takes care of that." said the being, as she turned around to face the Mario Bros. Now that she wasn't moving, and could be seen in the open, it was clear what species she was. Standing there before the brothers was a yellow Shy Guy, although you couldn't really tell the gender. The only visible difference between her and her brethren was that she sported a smile permanently plastered onto her face. "Well, it's good to finally meet you in person, Mario." she said.

"Hey Mario, who's that?" asked Luigi.

Mario shrugged, but continued to look at the Shy Guy questioningly.

"Let's just calm down here for a second, okay? I'm not an enemy, I just came to help. I've heard a lot about you two, especially down in the Toy Box. The story of how you beat General Guy is rather famous, or infamous, depending on whom you talk to down there. Oh and by the way, the name's Shelly." Shelly said.

Mario gave a "hello" wave to Shelly, as did Luigi. However, Luigi had a question bugging him that obviously couldn't wait from the look on his face.

"Yeah, okay you're a Shy Guy-"

"I prefer the term Shy Gal"

"Okay, Shy Gal, but really why did you help us? And I thought Shy Guys, and Gals, preferred to stick inside the Toy Box?" asked Luigi.

"Yeah well, not all of us are the same, got it?" Shelly snapped. I prefer a change of scenery every once in a while, so a good walk outside is more than worth it. As to why I helped you guys? Like I said, I want to help. Word spread quickly, and I mean quickly, that you two were going to get back the Princess and the Mega Stars. So I want to help. I can be a valuable asset to your group, and besides, I know a lot more about stuff than a lot of people I know. That's what being a bookworm has gotten me."

"So, you want to help us on this mission?" asked Luigi.

"Yep. I promise, you let me help, and I won't let you guys down."

"Okay. What do you think Mario?"

"Hmm." said Mario. He looked up and nodded.

"Alright! Trust me Mario, you won't regret this. I'll be great help for you!" said Shelly.

_Congratulations! The Shy Gal, Shelly, has joined your team. Her ram attacks will take down the toughest of enemies, and her Tattle will inform you of everything about anything._

**Alright, this chapter is done. So, we now have the first partner (unless you want to count Luigi. But I have plans for him *evil laugh*). So next chapter will probably be up in the next three days. Maybe you guys will be lucky and get two or three. Depends on how much time I've got.**


	4. Chapter 3

**Well, next chapter is up now. Sorry if this seems a little dull or slow at this point, I just have to get it going.  
Ah, and thanks for the tip Cascore. Will do starting...now.**

Chapter 3: Koopa Bridge has fallen down

The Mario Bros. and their new friend Shelly, the Shy "Gal," set off once more, further venturing out from Toad Town to the Koopa Bros. former fortress, where the first of the Mega Stars lay. It would the first step to fixing the sky's dimness, and saving Peach. However, none of them could be even the slightest aware that they were being watched from afar. And I mean really far away.

_Halfway across the world in a strange land. A new Bowser Castle lay halfway to being complete, with most of the Koopa Troop busy in its construction. Deep inside, Bowser's right-hand Koopa, Kamek, stood in his private room, carefully looking into his crystal ball._

"Well, what do we have here?" said Kamek to himself. He was looking at the Mario Bros. continue their journey to get the first Star. "Well, it appears Master Bowser was correct. They took the bait, and are walking right to their doom," He chuckled. "It'll only be a matter of time now, before those fools fail before they even begin!"

At this moment, Kammy Koopa walked into the room, looking for a moment before speaking.

"What do we have going on here? Are the Mario Brothers on their way to the first Star's guardian?" asked Kammy

"Yep. I was just about to report this back to the Master and--hey wait! What do you think you're doing?!" screamed Kamek. Kammy had taken flight down the corridor, flying a direct route to Bowser's throne room. "Don't you dare take credit for that report! I did all of the work!" With this, Kamek pulled out his wand and teleported himself to Bowser's throne, arriving just as soon as Kammy did. The traded glares, and immediately started to bicker among each other as to who would tell Bowser the news. The commotion the two made upon their arrival woke Bowser up from his scheduled rest, setting him instantly in a bad mood.

"What the?! What's going on? Are we under attack?" yelled Bowser, wide-eyed in shock as he quickly jumped up and looked around the room. Upon seeing Kamek and Kammy standing only a few feet away babbling nonsense, he dropped his eyelids in boredom and disinterest. "Oh, it's you guys. What is it? This better be important, because I'm missing my resting time. Being an evil king is a rough life you know.

"Yes, yes, we understand, Master Bowser," Kamek said. "However, it has come to my attention that-"

"The Mario Brothers are currently on their way to the first Mega Star, your Evilness!" screamed Kammy.

"WHAT?!"

"Uh, yes sir, like Kammy had said, the Mario Bros. are currently making their way to the first Mega Star. But not to worry! I have full confidence in the guy we hired for the job. Plus, we went through a very well thought out plan to impede their progress. So we have even more time to prepare, in case they start to make their way here like they do every time." said Kamek.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Oh man Bro, looks like the bridge is out," said Luigi, as he, Mario, and Shelly looked at the busted bridge that leaded up to the old fortress. "I guess we'll have to go to Koopa Village and see if anyone can help us out."

Mario nodded, and they turned around and headed down the steps off of the hill, continuing walking down the path. The area was still rather quiet, and only a few Koopas and Goombas dared to interfere.

One particular Koopa was rather troublesome, putting up a long fight before Shelly lost all patience and rammed him into a tree.

"That takes care of that, right guys?" she said, looking around the area before talking again. "I would suppose that we should be near Koopa Village by now."

Sure enough, they reached the village within another couple of minutes, and to much surprise, and relief, the Koopas there were quite content, instead of the frantic mob of Toads they previously had put up with. One Koopa with a red handkerchief around his neck was lying against a tree, obviously about to take a snooze.

Mario instantly recognized him as his old friend, Kooper, from the time Bowser stole the Star Rod. As the group walked over, Kooper stirred slightly, before opening one eye in annoyance at the company. He, however, quickly opened both eyes upon realizing that Mario and Luigi were there. Jumping up, he hurriedly composed himself before saying hello.

"Oh, hey Mario, what's up? The sky sure has gotten weird, huh?" asked Kooper as he looked up. "I was about to take a quick nap here, to take advantage of all of this. I mean, I know it's obviously bad but, it's a good enough reason to sleep, especially when you've been running about like I have. I would suppose you have heard the story of Professor Kolorado and my discovery just a few weeks ago! Yeah that was a fun time, real exciting at some points. But now, I was just getting used to enjoying staying home for a bit."

"Why, something up?" asked Luigi.

"Yeah, Professor Kolorado is all worked up about this whole "darkened sky" thing. He thinks that some important artifacts or something have been moved, and that the world has been cursed. He wants me and our best archeologists to help him out with this. I know it's that the Mega Stars are gone but, he just won't listen to reason. Not even his wife can convince him otherwise, and she usually gets right to him. I suppose he's really determined on this, even though I have no clue what to find," said Kooper. As he finished, he then took notice of the Shy Guy standing next to the brothers. "Ah, and I suppose you guys are off to get the Stars back, am I right? And I would bet it was Bowser who stole them, right? I mean, that would explain why you guys just randomly dropped in, and why this Shy Guy is with you."

"Shy GUY?" asked Shelly, the tension clearly in her voice. "I'm a Shy GAL. GAL! Get it right!" She screamed, as she jumped up and grabbed Kooper by his handkerchief, bringing him down to the ground.

"Wah! Sorry! Sorry! I didn't mean to insult you! I didn't know there were Shy Gals!"

"Well then next time, ask before you make the assumption!"

"Okay, okay! I promise! Just, could I have my throat back?" Kooper asked, the fear evident in his voice.

"Yeah, sure." she said with contempt as she slowly let go of Kooper, allowing him to scramble back on his feet.

"So yeah, I guess I should just ask, what brings you guys into our humble little village?" asked Kooper, motioning around him as he spoke.

Mario told him their mission, about the Mega Stars, Princess Peach, and that they needed help having the bridge outside of town fixed up.

"That's it? You just need our help real quick with the bridge?" asked Kooper. "No problem, let me just rally up everyone, and we'll have it done faster than you can say "King Bowser"."

Kooper then left them where they were, and ran off to each of the houses, as well as looking around in bushes and trees for any other Koopas (or Bob-Ombs) that may have been hidden within them. When he was finished, he had gathered most of the citizens of the village, and he then explained what they were to do.

"Everyone got that? We have to rebuild that bridge so Mario and his friends can get that Mega Star back!" said Kooper. The crowd gave a quick "Yeah!" before they all ran off in a sea of shells and bombs of all types and colors. Kooper looked back, and motioned for Mario, Luigi, and Shelly to follow along.

Moments later, everyone set work on reconstructing the bridge, which somehow took only a few seconds of dust and rapidly moving Koopas and Bob-Ombs to fix up.

"Well, it seems we got it done. Good work everyone!" yelled Kooper to the crowd.

They all began walking back to town, with Mario, Luigi, and Shelly giving their "thank you's" and "goodbye's" to the people, especially Kooper for his assistance. Eventually everyone had left, once again putting the three into absolute silence, the dimmed sky holding its effect upon everyone. Finally, they set off across the bridge, and continued walking on the trail, not knowing what was in store for them.

**And that's that! Next chapter, we'll finally get to the old Koopa Bros. fortress. And how about this: I'll let you guys try to guess who's guarding the Star. I mean, I probably won't have him (Note: NOT her, it, or them.) in the story till the confrontation, which will probably be another two or so chapters. So go ahead, guess.  
Next chapter will probably be tomorrow or so, depends on the time I've got.**


	5. Chapter 4

**Yeah, sorry about the wait. I was busy with homework and other stuff in life (Track sign-ups). Plus when I could use the computer, someone else in my family got on just as I wanted to use it. But, enjoy the chapter. Next one will hopefully be up sooner, maybe by the end of Sunday at the latest.**

Chapter 4: Under New Management

_After a slight diversion from their journey to the old Koopa Bros. Fortress, Mario, Luigi, and the Shy Gal, Shelly, continued onwards to find the first Mega Star._

"Hey Bro, how much longer you think until we get to the fortress?" asked Luigi, the boredom clearly evident in his voice. He yawned. "I think that this darkness is getting to me. I would like to take a nice rest here."

"Hey, no time for that you know!" yelled Shelly, waving her arms. "What kind of lazy are you? I mean, the entire world is in danger no doubt, and all you can do is think about sleeping? Besides, if you would just look, then you would see that the fortress is just over there!"

Sure enough, there was the structure, looming off in the distance. A slight glow could be seen from a tower located near the top of the fortress.

"Oh!" exclaimed Mario, jumping in acknowledgement at the glow. He pointed to it, motioning for the other two to see it.

"Hey, that's the Star, isn't it Mario?" asked Shelly, slightly squinting in order to see the faint glow.

Mario nodded, and they continued their trek towards the castle. Unfortunately, their progress was soon impeded by a group of Koopas that had set up a roadblock in their way. There seemed to be no other way around them, so they would inevitably end up fighting for passage.

"Hey boss!" said one Koopa, who had seen the trio walking their way. He nudged another Koopa next to him who was busy setting up a wooden blockade. "It looks like they finally showed up, just like the big boss said!"

The other Koopa slowly stood up and turned around, looking Mario in the eyes. He grinned. "Well, Mario, it seems that King Bowser hired some local guy to watch this Mega Star, and prevent you from getting it. So that guy, our boss, sent us out here to stop you from coming any further. There is no way you can get past our unstoppable force!" he yelled, raising his fists up in the air for effect. He turned around to look at his comrades. "Come on you two, let's get 'em!" he said, pointing in Mario's direction as the Koopas proceeded to charge him.

"No way you'll get that Star, Mario!" said the third Koopa. "Once we're finished with you, the big boss will make us an official part of his neighborhood gang!"

"Well this stinks, eh bro?" asked Luigi, leaning forward into a fighting stance. Mario nodded in agreement. At this rate, it would take them weeks to find the princess, much less save her.

"Who cares, let's just beat these guys! It's just three simple Koopas, nothing we can't handle. Probably ran away from Koopa Village, just like the Koopa Bros." said Shelly. "But enough talk; let's just get these guys out of here!" she yelled, making a quick dash towards one of the Koopas.

"Woah! Wait as sec, I'm not ready! I- ARGH!" screamed the completely defenseless Koopa as Shelly ran right over him, knocking him on his back. Shelly didn't even flinch as she continued on through, knocking over the other two, who were just as unprepared for the attack.

"Grrr…when I get back on my feet, you guys are HISTORY!" spat the boss Koopa as he rocked back and forth, trying to gain momentum to flip up again. The other two were attempting similar methods, but to no avail. Their disadvantage quickly gave Mario and Luigi the upper hand, who immediately pulled out their hammers and made short work of the two crony Koopas, leaving only the boss left.

The lone Koopa continued his doomed attempt at up-righting himself, muttering to himself in frustration. He failed to see that the Mario Bros. were performing a combo attack, and it was too late for him to even try to move out of the way before they both stomped on him. As soon as they finished this, they kicked his shell as he retreated into it, sending him flying through the barricade. As a result, the entire fence fell, its poor craftsmanship shown.

"That was a tough scrap, right bro?" asked Luigi, to which Mario nodded. "Oh well, I suppose it's time to move on, I mean the castle is just ahead." he said, as the trio continued on their way.

A few minutes later, they arrived at the fortress, the ruined building looming overhead. The dim sky only enhanced the effect, adding a sinister look to it. Suddenly, the massive doors opened up, and a group of about five Bob-ombs came scurrying out, their eyes giving away their obvious fear.

"Woah, what happened here? Looks like you guys saw a ghost or something." commented Shelly.

"You would think, but really we just escaped from this place. Not an easy feat mind you, that freak running this place had us locked up good. Thankfully, one of the Koopa guards was a bit careless, and we were able to sneak out." said one of the Bob-ombs. "He just came probably only a few weeks ago, and just took over. We don't even know how he did it, it just happened. We think it may have something to do with that Star he brought with him."

"Ah!" shouted Mario, jumping as he raised his hand up.

"What?" asked the same Bob-omb. "You need to get that Star from the guy?" Mario nodded. "Well, I guess you can try to get it, but I wouldn't count on anything. This dude's supposed to be really powerful, and huge!"

"And he uses magic! Really powerful and dark magic!" yelled another Bob-omb, jumping up to be noticed.

"Wow, he sounds like he'll be tough to beat. But nothing we can't handle, right bro?" asked Luigi as he turned to look at Mario.

"Hey, be our guests. I mean, Mario, you did take out those lousy Koopa Bros. from this place. That helped a ton. So I guess if anyone could get rid of this guy, it's you. Good luck." said the first Bob-omb. The five Bob-ombs then began to run away, their "good lucks" and "see-ya's" heard for a bit before they finally ran out of earshot.

The three then turned back to face the fortress, looking at it before Mario began to step forward. Just as he began to open the doors, a voice spoke from behind a nearby bush.

"Heh, glad they finally left. Now I can actually talk to you guys." said the voice, as a form slowly stood up and walked out. At this point, it could clearly be seen that it was a Boomerang Bro., one with slightly different equipment and wardrobe than the norm. He had a brown, green, and black color scheme, with his helmet complete brown with a black stripe encircling it, as were his armbands. The helmet also had a raccoon **(AN: or a Tanooki?)** tail. His shell was a forest green, slight bits of dirt clinging to it. Perhaps strangest of all was his boomerang, which was twice the size of a normal one, and looking as if it was carved straight from a tree..

"Well, he's a strong one, isn't he?" remarked Shelly, looking at the Koopa as he slowly walked towards them.

Mario took a step forward, moving into a fighting stance. Luigi soon followed suit, taking up a position next to Mario. Luigi pointed at the Boomerang Bro., and asked, "Just what do you want with us? I would keep out of our way if you're looking for trouble. We need to get that Mega Star back and save the princess, so I would stand back if I were you."

The Boomerang Bro. took a step back, bringing his hands up. "Hey, sorry if I surprised you or anything," he said. "I guess that would be expected if you just got finished with those fools back there, they were never really the boss' favorites. I suppose he expected them to be beat. But I should probably come out with it: I'm not here for a fight."

Mario and Luigi relaxed a bit. Shelly however, remained ready to attack. 'Just what does this guy take us for anyways? I mean, he just happens to be hanging around here, waiting for us to come by? Something doesn't seem right…'

"Hey Shelly, you alright?" Luigi asked, interrupting her thoughts.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking, that's all."

"Okay that then," Luigi said. He turned his attention back to the Boomerang Bro. "So just what is it that you really want? You couldn't have been out here waiting by mere coincidence that we'd pass by. And who exactly are you?"

The Boomerang Bro. sighed, taking a deep breath before beginning to speak. "Well I guess I'll just tell you. My name is Boone. I usually travel about the forests all over, looking for worthwhile things to do with my life. And it so happened that I was hired by the boss here a few days ago, and he set me to work keeping the place under guard. I was never told what I was guarding, but it was obviously important. Now, mind you, I did get oh so curious about this after the first day. So I did my snooping around, and what do you know? There's a Mega Star, smack in the fortress."

"And you did nothing about it?" interrogated Shelly, her anger showing through.

"What would I have done? Grab it and run? I mean, this place is quite heavily guarded, no doubt about it. Koopas and Goombas are crawling all over the place. A ton of Bob-ombs are locked down in the dungeons of this place. But I know this place like the back of my head. I remember these things easily, so I can lead you through here to get the Star."

"So, you're not evil?" asked Shelly. Boone shook his head, chuckling.

"No, not in the least. Like I said, I was hired by some guy here. Apparently he's a bit notorious around this area, from what I heard. I haven't seen him yet, but of course the rumors have reached my ears, that he's huge, powerful, and can use magic. That's about all I know."

Mario started saying something to Boone, making motions with his hands to assist the explanation while Boone nodded every so often. Shelly was shocked by what she heard. She pulled Mario and Luigi back, mumbling an "excuse us for a moment" to Boone. When they were a ways back, Shelly began speaking quietly to not be overheard.

"You actually trust this guy Mario? I mean, isn't he a bit suspicious?" questioned Shelly. Mario shook his head, muttering an "nuh-uh."

"I agree with Mario on this one. I mean, Boone seems like he could help. He says he knows the place, so he could lead us straight to the Star. And if we're lucky, we can nab it without fighting the guy protecting it." added Luigi.

"Well, I guess it's whatever you guys say…" grumbled Shelly, clearly at a loss for words. She knew there was no arguing the point any longer. They all turned back and walked to Boone who was patiently leaning on his boomerang, which had one end planted in the ground. He looked up at them as they stopped, waiting for one to start.

"It looks like that we'd like you to join us Boone," said Shelly reluctantly. "We think that you'd be really helpful on this, and you may be in the future, even after we're done here. But don't think I trust you just yet!" she snapped.

Boone smiled, saying, "That's fine, I really didn't think any of you guys would trust me. But thanks. I promise, you'll get that Mega Star back. And I don't know if I'll stick around after that. I may want to hit the road again.

"I think that will be a-okay, right bro?" asked Luigi. "I mean, we will probably need all the help we can get here, right?" Mario nodded.

_Congradulations! The drifting Boomerang Bro., Boone, has joined your team! He can use his boomerang to lay multiple hits on one or more enemies, or even throw a power shot at a single enemy. He can also use his boomerang in the field to reach stuff that's too far to jump. _

Mario paused. He began to ask Boone a question, one he wasn't sure if Boone knew the answer to.

"Who's the guy running this place?" Boone asked, rubbing his chin as he thought back. "Well, even though that I never saw the guy, I was told his name when they hired me."

"You did? Who is it?" asked Shelly, who was clearly interested on the subject.

"Let's see, I think his name was…"

**Oh, cliffhanger there, eh? I don't know if this will be much of a surprise, but then again, I don't know if I made it too obvious about who the guy is. Oh well, it'll all work out. So next chapter, we find out the guard of the first Mega Star, and get on with the fight. I hope the fight scene comes out well, I still need to work on those I think. If anyone can offer any tips for that, I would be grateful!  
And after the next chapter, on to the remaining Stars. And we'll get some more face-time with Bowser and co., as well as possibly a word from Dimentio. All in good time I suppose.  
One last note: If I should try speeding the story along, please tell me. I don't want this thing to get monotonous for people, I want to keep it interesting.**


	6. Chapter 5

**Okay, new chapter up. And with that, we now get to the fight with Jr. Troopa for the first Mega Star! Yeah, and it seems that updates will probably be weekly, with possible exceptions to that, but only sometimes. Otherwise, expect it weekly, mainly on the weekends.**

I should have said this before, but thanks for the reviews to those who have. And if you haven't please review! I'd really appreciate some critique so that I know if I'm doing something wrong. Thanks!

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Chapter 5: Pain in the Troopa

Last chapter:

"_You did? Who is it?" asked Shelly, who was clearly interested on the subject._

"_Let's see, I think his name was…"_

"…Jr. Troopa." finished Boone. Mario shouted a surprised "oh!" upon remembering the little Koopa.

"Yeah, he was some kid who kept chasing you around on one of your adventures, right Mario?" asked Luigi.

"Well if Mario and he didn't have a good history together, then that would make perfect sense as to why he would be here protecting the Star," deduced Boone. "He obviously wants revenge, and if I could guess right, he would probably be waiting right now for you, Mario. I say we go now, so we don't keep him waiting longer. Besides, the faster we get this Star, the faster the light comes back."

The group proceeded to open the massive castle doors, walking into the huge fortress as the doors shut behind them. A few more steps and a maniacal, childish laugh emanated throughout the corridors and towers, sending a chill down Luigi's spine. The others were unfazed.

They continued on their way, a few Koopas jumping out from time to time to cause a ruckus. The group of four easily dispatched them, moving on through the fort before coming across a locked door.

"Stand back, I'll take care of this thing." said Luigi, spitting into his gloves, rubbing them together, and then began to mess around with the lock, attempting to break it open. Mario looked at his brother as he continued his hopeless attempt. A few minutes later, and Luigi gave up. "Uh, heh-heh, sorry guys. It just won't open." he said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.

Suddenly, an echoing click went through the room. Luigi jumped in shock, backing away from the lock as the lock fell apart into a bunch of shadow particles. Everyone looked on in shock as they dissolved into the ground as quickly as they had appeared.

Shelly was the first to break the silence. "Okay, there is no way it was that easy." She was right. Three Dry Bones rose from the same spot of ground as the particles has disappeared into, literally rising through the stone. "Figures." said Shelly.

"_You are fools to try to and get that Star back."_ hissed one of the Dry Bones. _"Now you are doomed to fall at our hands!"_ he shouted as he and the other two began to attack, each pulling out a bone and pitching it at the group. Luigi and Shelly both were hit hard by a bone and Boone deflected the third by throwing his boomerang as a counter. The bone flew right back at the Dry Bones who had thrown it, knocking him in the skull.

"_Ha, what was that? I seriously felt absolutely noth-"_ he began, but was cut short as he fell apart in a heap on the floor.

Mario proceeded to jump on another Bones' head, again causing this one to collapse into a motionless pile.

"Alright bro! I'll take care of this one!" shouted Luigi, but gripped his side in pain from where the bone struck. 'Ah, that smarts. But I'm not giving up.' he thought. "Take this, a super jump from the Luigi-man himself!" Luigi crouched down, pulling all of his strength into his legs. As he sprung up, he soared straight to the Dry Bones, landing with a crunch on the skull, making him fall apart as well, but with a large series of cracks left on his cranium.

Luigi stood up slowly, brushing the dust off of him. He pulled out a mushroom from his pocket, and promptly ate it, healing himself. He pulled out another, walked over to Shelly, and gave it to her, who ate it while muttering a "thanks" before eating it.

The group, now healed and ready to go, continued on their aimless search through the fort. They reached a stairwell, and began climbing it, going into more rooms and up more stairs, defeating multitudes of Koopas, Goombas, and Dry Bones, all while steadily making their way up to the room containing the Star, as directed by the Star Navigator.

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Jr. Troopa sat in one of the upper towers of the fortress, slouching in an oversized throne, leaning his head onto one of his hands. He was still the runt we all knew and despised, and hadn't really changed a bit since the last time Mario beat him. Still wearing his egg, he looked almost the same, but with a Koopa shell beginning to peek out. Sighing, he began looking around. Then again, there wasn't much to look at besides the stone walls and the fancy stained glass of medieval stuff that he didn't really care for, like knights and kings and jesters. He admitted it; he was bored with the job given by the Koopa King himself.

'If I had known that most of this would just be me sitting here and waiting for Mario, then I would never had signed up for this cruddy thing.' he thought. Looking above, he saw the Mega Star floating in a cage from the ceiling, its circular tips a deep, navy blue while the body was the average gold color.

Jr. began to complain. "Why can't I get even a bit of action around here, huh? Bowser said that Mario would be here by now, and there hasn't been any sign of him at all. What's taking him so long?"

Jr. Troopa's pleas were soon answered, as the main doors to the throne room burst open, and four Ninja Koopas literally flew in crying, with an angry Shelly standing in the open doorway, shoulders tensed up and fists clenched. She had a glare set on the heap of the Koopas as she breathed heavily, blind fury radiating off of her.

"If you Koopa Losers want to keep more than just your lives, you better get out of my site right now!" screamed an infuriated Shelly. Mario, Luigi, and Boone poked their heads in the doorway, none of them daring to try and calm Shelly down. She was well beyond that possibility.

"Hey, listen girl, we're the Koopa BROS.! Get it right!" said Red as he jumped up, pointing a finger at Shelly.

"Yeah, and stop hurting us, we didn't like it when Mario did it, and we don't like you doing it. Besides, you didn't even let us use our special move!" whined Black, as he slowly stood up, using Green to support himself.

"Yeah, what about our special move?" whimpered Yellow who was flipped on his shell, trying to get up until Black helped him.

Shelly was fuming now. She menacingly cracked her knuckles as her smile contorted into a psychotic grin. "Oh, I'll show you creeps a special move. Just you watch." she said as she slowly walked over to them, before breaking into a full-on sprint. She rammed them with as much force as she could muster, sending them flying out of the fort.

Jr. Troopa was now fully alert, especially seeing the raw power Shelly demonstrated in that single blow. Mario, Luigi, and Boone walked out to join her, and Mario turned his attention to Jr. Troopa.

Troopa grinned, jumping down off of his throne and slinked over to where he was standing a few feet away from the group. "Finally you arrived Mario, I was getting bored. I wanted to have one last fight between you and me, so that I could beat you. And I will beat you this time, because Bowser gave me these cool shadow powers. Feast your eyes on this!" he hollered, opening his hands to unleash a mass of two spheres of shadow energy.

The spheres began cover his hands, and eventually worked their way to cover Jr. Troopa's entire body. At this point, he began to grow to three times his size, finishing as most of the shadow began to disappear. His hands were still covered in darkness, but the rest of him looked about the same, only with a few pointed teeth jutting from his mouth.

Troopa grinned. "So what do you think of this form, eh Mario? Bowser was real nice to let me use this magic of his. But forget this Mario, I will defeat you now!" he cried, beginning to unleash two blasts of the shadow at Mario and co. Each of them dodged it, but it was a narrow miss.

Mario said something to Boone. "What? You want to stay out for now?" he asked, clearly confused. Mario nodded back in reply, and Boone merely shrugged, walking out of the way for the fight.

Then the real fight began, as Mario, Luigi, and Shelly stood ready for attack. Jr. Troopa sent another of the dual blasts at them, this time hitting Mario, laying minor damage to him. Mario then proceeded to pull out his hammer, and whacked Troopa. Amazingly, it didn't do any harm to Troopa.

"Ha, like that kind of thing would hurt me. My shell is stronger than stone at this point, there's no breaking through!" he proclaimed, his taunt clearly getting to Shelly.

Shelly still hadn't completely calmed down from the Koopa Bros., and Jr. Troopa's taunts were reigniting her rage. "Oh, impenetrable you say? I'll see about that!" she yelled, jumping up and performing a head butt onto Troopa's head, also covered by the hard shell. Just as before, it caused no damage to Troopa himself. However, a small crack was made on it, and Shelly noticed it.

"You see that?" she pointed out. "I think it's a weak spot. Break it and maybe we can get through that thick skull of his."

"Okay! Let the Luigi-Man take this!" exclaimed Luigi, crouching down for a super-jump. Springing up, he landed with a hard crunch on Troopa's skull, leaving a massive crack on the shell. "Wow, looks like he can only take one more before he'll really face the fury of the Man in Green!"

"Gah! What's that for?" shouted Troopa, wincing as he rubbed his head shell due to dull ache coming through. He clenched his fists and prepared for attack. "Okay, try this!" he cried as he did his signature dash, this time running right over the three. Shelly was hit the hardest, and was completely taken out by the attack. Her unconscious self was tossed like a rag doll across the room. Boone saw this happen, and quickly jumped in to take her place.

"Looks like I do get to have some action on this," he said, prepping his boomerang for a throw. "Let's see how this misbehaving toddler likes to be clocked on the head some more!" Boone yelled, chucking the large boomerang at Troopa. The object made direct contact with Jr. Troopa's protected forehead, leaving the shell top a like a cracked windshield. The boomerang, however, kept going on, refusing to return to Boone.

Troopa was scared now, he knew that they were about to break his shell, and then he'd be vulnerable. 'One more hit, and then I'll be easy picking! If only I could stall them…wait a minute, that's it!' he thought, a devilish grin coming across his face. "Well how about this?" he exclaimed as he made a few movements, causing the shadow on his hands to disconnect, but they reformed into two more Jr. Troopas. "Try and guess the right one now…huh?!"

Troopa's poor luck was not kind to him at the moment, as the boomerang decided to have finally made its return. Having no time to react, Troopa was hit once more on the skull, this time completely shattering his upper shell, leaving him completely vulnerable. He whimpered, realizing what this meant for him.

"I think it's time for Jr. to get a taste of defeat again, right bro?" suggested Luigi, and Mario nodded, taking his battle stance.

As they both began running, Luigi and Mario began to perform a combo attack, jumping on each other before Luigi grabbed Mario's feet. They flipped upside-down, twisting in a tornado before pausing above Troopa's head. They moved so quickly, he couldn't see them move there. He managed to get out a "Wait a minute-!" before the brothers spun down, crashing right onto the top of his skull. His eyes instantly rolled back, as he began to wobble on one foot. Luigi walked over, and with a slight tap, knocked Troopa down for good. As he hit the ground, it sent a tremor throughout the room, shaking the cage containing the Mega Star. The chain broke apart, and the cage fell, breaking into pieces on the floor. The Star within was released, and floated inches above the ground.

"Oh yeah!" Luigi cheered, jumping and performing a little jig in celebration before sticking out a thumbs up. Mario and Boone shook their heads, and Troopa grumbled, himself only half-conscious. Suddenly, in a burst of black cloud, Troopa returned to his normal, runt size.

Mario walked over to the Mega Star, while Luigi and Boone took care of Shelly, giving her a spare mushroom Boone was carrying with him. After she quickly recovered, they joined Mario just as he was grabbing the Mega Star. Mario grabbed the Star, and let out a loud "yahoo!" in triumph. They were one step closer to saving Peach, and the world.

Shelly regained strength enough to talk at that point. "Good job everyone. One down, six more to go, right? Then we can save the Princess."

"Yeah, we're well on our way to getting Peach back!" cheered Luigi. "Now, can we please leave this place, I'm starting to really be creeped out. Especially those windows, they make me feel uneasy."

Mario nodded, and the group left the room, venturing their way out of the fortress and began their way back to Toad Town.

However, Luigi had perfect reason to be disturbed by the stained glass. One jester-shaped piece began to laugh, before peeling off and floating around the room, inspecting the damage, and Jr. Troopa.

"Ah, such a sad waste. The "master" said that this should have been enough of a challenge for them. But alas, this little Koopa didn't last. Alive, but he didn't last at all against them. Pity," Dimentio laughed, once again taking another look around the room. "Oh well, best we be off to tell the "master" of his failure. Can't keep him waiting, can we?" he asked before snapping his fingers, warping out of the fortress, leaving Troopa alone until his guards would come to check up on him.

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**And, done with "Chapter 1," should we be talking game time. Next chapter, we move on, hitching a ride with some people and going off to continue the adventure. And an appearance by Bowser and all of those people. Hope you guys are looking foward to it, because I sure am. I can finally start to get into more of the story, really getting at the good parts that I have in mind**


	7. Chapter 6

**Well, finally had a chance to write up this chapter. School decided this past week or so to be annoying with the work they assign. Oh well, I got it done for the most part (Oral book report this Friday, though T_T). But hey, got the chapter done, and that book review should be easy (I hope).  
I think it's enough chat for now, time for the next chapter!  
**

Chapter 6: The Open Sea, and Beyond

_Halfway around the world at the new Bowser's Castle. _

Kammy was bored, to say the least. She hadn't had a thing to do all day, and really hadn't ever since the castle was finished. Nor did the rest of the Bowser's army, who spent the leftover time moseying around, playing games or just sprawling out across the hallways asleep. Really, the only ones who weren't truly bored were Kamek and Bowser, the former who Kammy was on her way to visit. It was a favorite pastime of hers, bugging Kamek like no tomorrow.

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Kamek was not having a good day. His crystal ball had broken earlier that day, but at least he had a closet full of spares. A now empty one. He made a mental reminder to restock when he had time. Plus, Bowser was hounding him, having him perform surveillance to watch over the Mario Bros. and co. to watch their progress.

As he concentrated harder on tracking their progress, he saw them getting the Mega Star only hours before. Shocked by this development, Kamek immediately backed off before turning to run to Bowser. As he shoved past his door, Kammy had the unfortunate timing to be there, resulting in the door slamming into her beak.

"OUT OF MY WAY!" screeched Kamek, dashing down the stairs and along the corridor to Bowser's throne room. Kammy, who was massaging her beak from the hit, slowly began following in his direction for revenge.

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Bowser jumped when he heard his doors slam, and put on a puzzled look as Kamek came up to him babbling nonsense. Before long, Kamek calmed down, and began to speak normally. Telling Bowser the news, he backed off looking rather pleased with himself at his discovery. Bowser chuckled and put a hand to his chin, deep in thought.

"This is an excellent development, excellent indeed. Those Mario Bros. have no idea what their bringing themselves into. However, as it seems, I have recently gotten word that the guardian for the next Mega Star bailed out," Bowser said, arms crossed as he shook his head in disappointment. "Therefore, I think that you, Kamek, should be in charge of this next one. Do something special, something spectacular, something _you_. That ought to stop them in their tracks. But to be sure, two things. One, double security on the Princess' holding cell. Two, send all available soldiers across this land, providing any way for added defense against them. Now get out!"

"Yes Master Bowser! As you wish!" Kamek responded, jumping again before scurrying off to the massive doors of the throne room. Just as he began to open them, one swung out, catching Kamek before slamming into the wall. Kammy walked in, cackling in glee.

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After recently defeating Jr. Troopa and collecting the first Mega Star, Mario, Luigi, Shelly, and Boone began their trek back to town. Few Koopas and Goombas crossed their paths for a fight, and all were quickly dispatched, Shelly and Boone cycling between who fought every time. Before long, the team managed to arrive back at Toad Town, which had finally returned to relative peace. The Toads and other residents no longer were running around screaming their heads off in a panic, and it seemed that life was beginning to work its way around the problem of the darkness.

As they walked through, the party ran into Merlon. He greeted the two additions to the team before turning to Mario. Realizing what Merlon wanted, Mario pulled out the Mega Star and the Star Navigator, showing them to him.

"Ah, so it seems you have all succeeded in retrieving the first Mega Star." he stated, taking in the soft glow of the floating star, which had shrunk down to a mere inch in diameter.

"You bet!" Luigi exclaimed, jumping in front of Mario. "Those guys had no idea what hit them. In fact, they were all scared speechless when they saw me. Not a surprise though, because my pure intimidation alone should get those guys. But for Jr. Troopa, it at least slowed him down enough for me to beat him."

"Did you now?" asked Merlon in false interest. He once again turned to Mario before speaking to him. "Well, I must say, good job on getting that Star back. Now for the last six. It won't be easy, but I am sure you can do it, as does everyone else in the Mushroom Kingdom. Ah, but to get back onto the present, I should tell you, you won't be able to find the next Star without first putting the one you have into the Navigator. Just open the dome and stick the Star in, and the Navigator will point you in the right direction. Good luck my friends." he said before heading off once more into his home.

Mario followed his instructions, and as the lid shut, the holographic map reappeared. It showed Toad Town, before zooming out some to show the entire Mushroom Kingdom. Then, the map began moving in a westerly direction, out across the open ocean. A few seconds later, a large continent appeared, and many unique lands appeared on the map, with the Mega Star appearing a few miles inland from the coast.

"Woah, that's interesting," commented Shelly. "Never have I seen anything like that area. That's totally new to me."

"As it is to me," said Boone. "I may have travelled much, but those journeys only took me throughout the Mushroom Kingdom. This is brand new territory, a new frontier! Just how are we going to get there?"

"Ahem," interrupted Luigi, stepping into the circle. "Lucky for you guys, I know a lot of the new folks who drift into town, especially some the more frequent sailors who land into town from time to time. And what perfect timing, as I know a guy who is currently off duty for now. A pirate actually, but he should be able to help us. And by the way, his name is Captain Graves. Don't worry, he's a nice guy."

Shelly rolled her eyes. "Uh-huh Luigi, he sounds like a _real_ nice guy by the name."

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As the team walked down the large port of Toad Town, each took in the impressive sights of the boat yard, crews working hard to maintain the ships, even in the dark, and captains barking their orders at them. They continued walking along until they came near the end of the boat yard, where a decently kept pirate ship lay with a Goonie asleep on the deck, his back on a mast. Several Ravens, Toads, and Bob-Ombs were also taking advantage of the downtime by sleeping or playing dice games.

Luigi walked on board, with the rest following shortly behind him. He walked up to the Goonie, and as they got closer, everyone could get a better look at him. He had an eye patch covering his left eye, and a short peg leg on his left leg. The tips of his wings were a sooty grey, and the little sprigs of hair on his head were unkempt. In all, he looked like a pirate, albeit a rather young one.

Luigi walked next to the sleeping Captain, and began shaking him slightly to wake him up. The Goonie yawned, and slowly opened his eyes, blinking a few times, before recognizing Luigi. He jumped up, and with a smile on his face, began chatting with Luigi.

"Argh, my mate Luigi, how's life treatin' ye?" said Graves, speaking in a poorly attempted pirate voice. "And, how's me voice? I'm working on it you know, got to keep the pirate image up, just like all the other stuff. Got to keep my father's good name up, y'know."

"Well, my bro and I needed a favor from you. You see how the sky is all dark now?" Graves nodded. "Yeah, that's because the Mega Stars were stolen. So now we're on a quest to get them back to fix everything. Only problem, the next one is halfway across the world, way across the ocean, and we need to get there. So I suggested we try you, because you seem like you could help. So what do you say, can you give us a lift there?" asked Luigi.

"Ye all need me and my crew to gets ye to the other side of the world to save everything? Well that's a long ways. I think we could do it fer ye, if we got something in exchange?" Graves said, motioning with his eyes to say, 'you know what I want.'

Luigi sighed. "Okay, okay. You're lucky I carry a set with me all of the time. If that's all it'll take for you to help us, then it's worth it. One complete set of the 'Super Luigi' book series, right here!" shouted Luigi, pulling the book collection out and presenting it to Graves as Mario, Shelly, and Boone all fell on the floor in complete embarrassment.

"Argh! That's what we be talkin' about! Okay matey, you got yerself a deal. One direct route across the sea to save the world! And now you scallywag crew, get to work! We need to hit the high seas now! We're helping the Mario Bros. save the world, so let's get to movin'!"

"Aye aye, sir!" shouted the crew as each of them sprung up to duty, immediately setting to work on getting the ship moving. Each was providing some part of help, and before long the ship was off to sea, moving at a fairly steady rate. The crew remained hard at work for the rest of the day, holding their stations, even as nightfall set, not that they could really tell that.

.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Later that night, Graves met with the group in his room of the ship. "I want to tell you all that we should reach our destination in a few days, more or less two I should believe," he said before having to cough for a moment. "Ah, but in that time, feel free to move about the ship, enjoy yerselves. Not much to do, but I'm sure ye all could find somethin'. Oh, and by the way, I thought I should tell you that I have been to this land ye wish to be headed."

"Really?" said a surprised Shelly. "What is it?"

"Well," he began. "If memory serves me correct, I believe it is referred to as the "Old Mushroom Kingdom." But that's if memory is correct, and it should, I am still young!"

"Old Mushroom Kingdom, huh?" pondered Shelly. "That's definitely something new to me. I think this adventure has gotten a whole lot more interesting now."

**Well, now things should be getting interesting. New land, new friends, and now to locate the remaining Mega Stars. Next chapter, time for a little surprise. I've been waiting to pull this out, and next chapter will be the time for it.  
Oh, and as a quick note, Captain Graves' age is actually around mid-twenties, like 26 or something. Shocker, right?  
OK then, until next time, see you all later! And please review!**


	8. Chapter 7

**Yeah, sorry about the wait for this update. You see, this is exactly what happens when school, track, and the stresses of life get to the tipping point. I get sick for a week, brought on by the first two, and enhancing the last one. Not cool. And at the moment, I'm still sick, but at least have the time to finish this chapter. I'M MAKING UP FOR TIME PEOPLE.  
Next chapter will be out later this weekend, I guarantee it. Possibly Friday, possibly Saturday, possibly Sunday. Who really knows. But I'll work to get it out by then. In the meantime, enjoy the newest chapter.**

Chapter 7: Not a Jest

Several days at high sea (But then again, with the darkness you could hardly tell anyways), and Mario's team was only a few short nautical miles from land. They group had been generally bored for the most part. And I mean, really bored, with absolutely nothing to do but put up with the chatter of the crew. Shelly was about on her last nerve with the Raven up in the crow's nest, and about ready to toss him overboard.

"Ahoy!" cawed the Raven. "Land-ho! I repeat, land-ho!" he continued, squawking and jumping up and down in his little pedestal. "Once more, land-GAH!" he cried, before being knocked off of his perch by a plank of wood and sent falling onto the main deck.

Shelly was positively fuming. "I have had it with you, you annoying avian! Try it once more, and just wait and see what's for dinner tonight!"

"Eep!" squeaked the terrified Raven, who quickly scuttled back up onto his perch.

Captain Graves walked out of his cabin, quietly grumbling to himself about "never taking passengers again" and "getting back at Raphael." He called Mario and the others to him, hoping to get a quick word before they reached land.

"Now, I understand ye all be trying to get the Mega Stars back, and that the Old Mushroom Kingdom is where ye needs to be," he began. "But I must warn ye, somethin's amiss there. I got a message from a matey o' mine who just left port there the other day, and apparently things are different, especially in Koopolis, where we be headed."

"What? What could be wrong Captain?" asked Luigi.

"I can't be sure. Me matey wasn't too clear on what exactly was wrong, but that ye should just be ready."

Mario began to think, before saying a quick word to his group.

"You're right Mario. There's nothing we couldn't possibly handle. I mean, we took down Jr. Troopa, that should be enough." said Shelly.

"Ye may be right," said Graves. "Or, ye may be wrong. I cannot be sure."

"Captain!" cawed the Raven. "We be arriving in a moment's notice!"

"Well steer this ship into the port then! We have to get this ship landed, and then ye have all earned yerselves a well earned break at this city, regardless of any problems there may be."

A resounding cheer rose from the crew as the members all jumped about, and any laying about scrambled to their stations to prepare to stop. After they were prepared, the ship finally began its approach. A few minutes later, they set off the unloading platform, and Mario, Luigi, Shelly, and Boone all walked off the boat and onto dry land for the first time in days. Boone was a bit overenthusiastic, and began kissing the ground as if he hadn't seen it in years. However, his joy for landing was cut short by several sirens blaring near him, and two Koopas in high-tech police gear ran in.

One pulled out a nightstick and pointed it at Boone as he approached. "Hey, you there!" he shouted. "Don't you know the rules here? NO CONTAMINATING THE GROUND!" he hollered, as he and his partner walked over to Boone and knocked him in the helmet a few times, slightly fazing him.

As they finished their business, they began walking away, with the first Koopa turning his head saying, "And let that be a lesson for you. Hope you don't make that same mistake again in Koopolis. You wouldn't want to be sent to Penitentiary D, now would you?" he finished, as he and his partner walked off into the city.

Luigi was the first to react. He ran to Boone and helped him up on his feet. "You okay Boone? That was really odd, why'd they come and do that?"

Mario shrugged. He and the others then began to look at the city from where they stood, and really began to take in the complexity of it all. It was an absolutely massive futuristic city, skyscrapers looming overhead, hundreds of Koopas, Goombas, and all other creatures walking around in business attire, some with briefcases, and some with cell phones. And above all, television screens dotted the buildings, practically covering them, each playing the same thing.

Luigi shook Mario's shoulder. "Hey Bro, uh, look at what's on those screens. Or more like, _who_."

As Mario turned to watch, he shouted an "oh!" at who he saw on the televisions. It was none other than Dimentio, floating around on each with a smile on his face, laughing and shouting like there was no tomorrow.

"Love it here in Koopolis? I know you do. Everyone does!" Dimentio shouted at no one in particular. "We have everything you may need! Shops galore! Business is booming! The most advanced technology in the world! And don't forget, you're government will guarantee you safety!"

"Woah, looks like this guy knows how to run the place, right Mario?" Shelly asked. She looked around, waiting for an answer from Mario, before noticing something was off. "Hey guys, where'd Luigi go?"

This came as a major alert to the others, as Mario and Boone each began wildly looking around them for any sign of Luigi. Unfortunately, they found nothing, no trace of where Luigi may have wandered off to, or even dragged off too. And from the looks of the citizens, they weren't going know much else; they were too absorbed in their business.

Shelly began talking again. "Don't worry Mario, I'm sure we'll find Luigi soon. I mean, how hard can it be to find some tall guy in green? In this city, he'd stick out like a sore thumb."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Luigi slowly woke up, coming to his senses. He looked around, but only saw darkness enveloping him. He tried moving, but found his arms and legs to be strapped down; he figured he was in some kind of chair or something.

Suddenly, a light flickered on over his head, but it didn't give him much more visibility beyond a few feet in front of him.

"Well, like a lost puppy finally finding its way back home, look at whom I have the pleasure of seeing again." said a voice that sounded extremely familiar to Luigi.

"Oh no."

"Oh yes," said Dimentio, finally coming into the dim light. "I believe that it is time for Mr. L to take the center stage once more, don't you agree?"

**Yeah, kinda rushed, I know. Sorry about that, I'm sick, what else can you expect? Oh well, next chapter, I don't know. I suppose it may be something like filler, or continuing the story. Maybe a little of both. I'm thinking of just some exploration of the city, and then they'll be off. Wait till you see what Kamek's got in store for them (won't be for a few more chapters though. I'll just keep you guys guessing!)  
Oh, and continue reviewing people. I'd like to thank those who have already, like Shroom Guy. Thanks for the review!**


	9. Chapter 8

Finally, a new chapter is up. I'm okay now, sick is definitely gone. And even better, it's Spring Break this week for me! So that means there may be an extra chapter in a few days! Unfortunately, this week involves two of my least favorite things: yard work, and homework. Darn you AP Bio! Why do you have to give me such annoying assignments on my week off?!

But, putting that aside, let's get on to the story. And also, please continue reviewing! I would like to thank Drrockz for all of his reviews. Glad you're enjoying the story Drrockz.

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Chapter 8: Information and a Fight

After the disappearance of Luigi, Mario and friends began a desperate search for the missing Mario Brother. Splitting up, Mario, Shelly, and Boone each went their own ways in the futuristic city of Koopolis, looking long and hard for him.

The search lasted hours, and they made little progress in that time. Mostly, this was due to that each was impeded by the relentless flow of creatures walking through the opposite ways as them. Boone very nearly had the police force at him again, just for looking out of place in society. As their search ended, they met back up at the port to report their findings.

"I couldn't find Luigi anywhere," Shelly said glumly, her smile disappearing for a moment. "It's not like I could have anyway. These freaks here kept pushing me everywhere and are not even minding their manners. What is wrong with this place?"

Boone shrugged. "I can't be too sure. This is entirely different from what I've ever experienced." He shifted his boomerang, which was currently slung to his back. "Poor Luigi though, I hope that he's okay. I mean, I'm sure he is Mario, so I wouldn't worry."

Mario nodded, albeit half-heartedly. He motioned for Shelly and Boone to follow him, and they began to make their way through the city, walking through the endless crowds and past the relentless Dimentio screens.

It was then that Shelly was really beginning to be irked by the televisions. To no one in particular, she let out a yell saying "What is with these screens?! I have just about had it with the clown!"

A random passing Koopa heard her over the drowning voices of the pedestrians. Stopping suddenly with wide-eyes, he ran over and clamped a hand over Shelly's mouth. "Quiet you! Do you want the Police to take you to Penitentiary D?"

Shelly struggled for a moment, her rants muffled by the hand. Soon enough, she calmed down, and the Koopa removed his hand. Turning, Shelly gave the Koopa an icy glare for interrupting her.

"Well at least someone was listening here," she said, her voice clearly calming down, even though her hands were balled into fists. Deciding to see if the Koopa could be of any help, she began inquiring as much as she could think of. "Can you tell us anything about this city? It seems so weird here, like nothing is right. And what is with this 'Dimentio' on the screens?"

The Koopa sighed, taking a breath before answering. "Well, Dimentio is the mayor of Koopolis. Or more like the dictator, but he doesn't like that term," the Koopa whispered. "Since he came, he installed those screens there to keep hammering us with his propaganda, and he created the police force here with his Penitentiary D. Ever since then, things have just been out of whack, since most people have blindly followed him. Add that to the sky getting dark and I'd say things have gotten as bad as they can."

Mario began talking to the Koopa, who was clearly overwhelmed over the situation. As Mario stepped back, the Koopa calmed down some, and regained his composure before talking again.

"Yeah, you're right. It could be worse," the Koopa said, picking up his briefcase with a nervous chuckle. "Thanks for that, and I was glad to tell you guys about everything. But I better be off, it's not really safe to stay in one spot for long. The police find it suspicious." He said, waving as he scurried off to wherever he needed to get to.

Mario and co. were left standing in the middle of the shifting crowd, watching as the Koopa ran off so hurriedly down the road, running through a nearby skyscraper. Taking mind to what he said, they began to slow move through the crowds, trying to find a way out.

Hours later, and the midafternoon sun was beginning to make its slow approach to the horizon (Not that you could really tell). By this time, the group had managed to work their way to the outskirts of the city, which reminded Mario all too well of Rogueport. Shady characters were walking all over, their faces concealed by various measures, no doubt hiding from the law.

Stopping in what they deemed as the most tolerable of inns, they took a rest from a day's worth of walking to grab a bite to eat. They sat in a secluded corner of the inn's bar, away from much of the other visitors. Shelly was looking around the place from her seat. She could see a Bob-omb, a Koopa, a Goomba, and a Cheep-Cheep, each looking ready to take apart the others. They sat at a table across the room playing poker. Some other random Koopas, Goombas, and even a few shady Toads were scattered throughout, each either keeping to themselves by eating or knocked out on the floor, asleep.

Shaking her head in disgust, Shelly made a gagging sound. "I could never stand this kind of life. These guys probably wash themselves, what? Once a year?"

"Actually," began Boone. "I haven't for a few months and-"

Shelly held up a hand, motioning for Boone to stop. "Ew. Not what I wanted to hear."

In the excitement of the day, Mario had forgotten perhaps the one reason they were really here. To find the second Mega Star. As he pulled out the Star Navigator, he activated the map, which popped up, displaying a 50 mile radius around them. A few seconds later, and the second Mega Star showed up on the screen, slowing moving to an area southeast to them.

This grabbed Shelly and Boone's attention, which both looked over at the Navigator with Mario, seeing the area where the star was. A river ran down from the city to the Star, following a trail that seemed to end up at a large castle. A village, only a few miles from the castle, was also seen.

"Well, I guess we now know where the next star is, huh Mario?" Shelly asked. "But a castle? Really? Isn't it always a castle for you?"

The noise Shelly had made had managed to attract the unwanted attention of some of the other visitors, some of whom merely grunted, and went back to what they were doing. However, one Robbo became curious about the Navigator that Mario held.

Grinning, he casually walked over to their table, clearing his throat to grab their attention. As they looked up at the grimy Robbo, his grin grew ever the larger before he began to talk to them.

"My, my, that is quite the device you got there my friend," he said, pointing to the Navigator. "I'm sure that such a thing would be oh-so valuable, and would undoubtedly fetch a fair selling price, if fallen into the wrong hands."

"Yeah," said Shelly, eyeing the Robbo suspiciously. "What's it to you?"

"I could just help you guys out here. If you let me hold that for you guys for tonight, I could prevent it from being stolen while you sleep."

"I...don't believe that's a good idea," advised Boone as he turned to Mario. "I'm not too sure we can trust this man."

Mario nodded, and pocketing the Navigator, they each stood up from the table, and were about to walk away before the Robbo put an arm in front of Mario. "No, I don't believe you understand," he said, irritation evident in his voice. "You really should let me take that for you. It wouldn't be…_safe_, if you didn't."

Mario pushed his arm out of the way, and walked past the Robbo, who was clearly infuriated by this act of defiance. Boone followed suit, walking right on past. Lastly, Shelly waltzed by him, and stopped for a moment before turning around to look at him. Sticking her tongue out at the Robbo, she giggled before running to join the other two.

The Robbo was seriously angered at this point. Pulling a small sword, he tossed it at the door, just as Mario was about to open it. Striking a few inches away from Mario, the knife stuck into the door. The team turned around, only to see an irate Robbo staring them down, holding another sword.

"Apparently, if you guys aren't just going to let me have that thing, then I have no choice but to take it from you."

"Wait," started Shelly as she took a step forward. "I don't think it'd be wise to fight. What if the police come here?"

The Robbo snorted a laugh. "Hah! Those guys never come out here. We'd overwhelm them, those fools." He chuckled to himself, the image obviously giving him a laugh. Quickly though, he regained his composure, his face coming back to the former seriousness. "Now, back to the matter on hand. Give me that device. I think that your lives are much more worthwhile than that."

Mario shook his head, instead sliding into a battle stance. Boone took a spot beside him, while Shelly retreated off to the side for a moment. The ruckus had gained some attention, as the rest of the bar began to form a ring around them, each expecting a brawl.

"So, that's how you want it? A fight to settle this? Alright then, bring it you fool!" the Robbo shouted, pulling up his sword and charging Boone with it.

Boone acted quickly, despite his older age. Pulling his boomerang off its sling, he held it like a bat, before using it to knock the sword from the Robbo, and launching the Robbo back a few feet.

"Grrr, so, you guys can actually fight. No matter, I can take you."

Boone decided to attack first, pulling his boomerang and making a quick toss, the oversized object knocking the Robbo in the head, before somehow coming back to Boone. The Robbo was clearly shaken, and was beginning to lose his grip, fear of losing starting to eat at him. However he didn't give up, and pulled back into a defensive stance as Mario came at him.

Jumping, Mario landed on the Robbo's head, jumping up with an action command before landing on his head again.

The Robbo was almost finished, his breathing ragged, and half-unconscious. Shaking it off, he pulled out a last resort, a single spear he had strapped to his back. Steadying himself, he chucked it at Mario, who was unable to dodge it. Thankfully, he only took minor damage from the attack.

Shelly whooped a "Go Mario!" as Mario ran for the finishing blow, pulling out his hammer, Mario held it back, bringing it down on the Robbo a few seconds later. The Robbo was dazed, his head moving in circles as he fell down to the floor. A mass cheering of the bar visitors rose up, and the bartender came out and pulled the Robbo out from the main floor, and over to a bench where he laid the unconscious bird upon.

Shelly ran up to Mario and Boone, both who were clearly okay after the scuffle. "You guys did great!" she said, her smile bigger than before. "But, I think we should probably get out of here and head on our way. We could probably find someplace off the road to sleep, especially with Boone's help. Plus, it'd ensure we're not attacked by any of these other creeps."

Mario and Boone quickly agreed, and the group soon was on its way out of the limits of Koopolis, leaving behind the Dimentio-ruled city. Heading on their way to the next Mega Star, Mario began to think of the city, about where his brother was, and what he could do. But he made a silent vow that no matter what; he would free that city at some point in the near future. He had no idea how soon that was.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Oh…" moaned Luigi as he grabbed his head. A large Floro Sprout was protruding from his hat, but it's effects didn't seem to be having a hold on Luigi.

"Hmm, it seems you have built an immunity to my Sprouts," said Dimentio. "No matter. I'm sure that we'll find some way to break you. Sooner or later, Luigi will be no more, and it will be Mr. L, forever." he finished with a smile.

* * *

And that's done. Next chapter will be up in a few days. Look forward to it people, it only gets better from here (Maybe not for Luigi). And you know what, I'm going to be nice. I'll go ahead and say, next chapter comes a new partner. But I won't reveal more than that. I'll keep the suspense up.


	10. Chapter 9

**So, Spring Break was all week this week for me. And I still only got the weekly chapter in, even if it was a bit early. I blame yard work, homework, (minor) writer's block, and my sudden reinterest in playing Pokemon Sapphire. Go figure. Next on my plan of things to get: Pokemon Platinum (I'm 15, and yet I still can't help but love the games. They never grow old.) But before that, I need a DS. Hello summer job! (In a few months, of course).**

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Chapter 9: Dupli-village

_A few days ago…_

"I must hurry. The Master Bowser will not be pleased if his plans aren't on schedule," a flustered Kamek said as he sped across the night sky on his broom. "I gave him my word that this would be ready before Mario arrived, and look! They're already on their way to getting the second Star!"

A few minutes more of flying, and Kamek arrived at the castle where the Mega Star was being held. He landed in a central room in the structure, which seemed to spiral up several stories. Stepping off of his broom, he pulled out his wand and looked at the Star.

"It's a good thing I had everything planned out, though," he said with a smirk. "Now just, ah wait, there you are."

Kamek had walked across the room, and found an odd opening in the wall, probably three feet in diameter, and several feet off of the ground, with a golden rim. In fact, there were multiple versions of it all around the room, just none were gold. Kamek, with a grunt, hoisted himself through, his wand still ready. Making a soft landing in the next room, he heard a buzzing sound suddenly pick up, as hundreds of beady, glowing red eyes began to open and stare at him, with one pair beginning to approach him.

"I believe it's about time to get to work, don't you?" Kamek said, and with a flick of his wand, cast his trademark enlarging spell on the individual. As the unsuspecting creature grew, its brethren watched in awe, ignoring the fact that Kamek was leaving the room.

As he kicked off, Kamek smiled to himself. "Mission accomplished. I will leave the rest to him; he will know what needs to be done." With that, Kamek flew off into the inky night, once again returning to Bowser to report the current success.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

_Back to present, in a forest outside of Koopolis_

The darkness of night had quickly fallen over, assisted by the dim skies. Mario, Shelly, and Boone had left the city of Koopolis only hours before, unable to find Luigi, and needing to continue on looking for the second Mega Star. A few miles out, they had decided to take shelter in a forest that their path entered, with a river running nearby.

With Boone's outdoors experience, they had shelter and a fire up in no time. The moon, which would normally have lit up the sky with its brilliant glow, could not be visible. The same could be said for the stars, the millions of dots completely blocked out by the darkness. So the fire remained their only source of light and warmth.

"Well," said Shelly. "I suppose all we can do now is just continue on, and get that Star. I mean, I'm sure Luigi would have wanted it this way, right Mario?"

Mario was too deep in thought to hear her. He was worried about Luigi, who had just disappeared like that. And in a city ruled by Dimentio no less. Remembering what had happened when Dimentio got a hold of Luigi last time, Mario shuddered, afraid that his younger brother would be forced into another situation to help Dimentio.

His thought were soon interrupted by Shelly, who was right in his face, waving a hand in front.

"Helloooo! Earth to Mario! Boone says we should probably get to sleep now, since we will probably need our strength to continue on tomorrow."

Mario nodded, standing up and walking over the small lean-to that Boone created. Boone had, in fact, created three lean-tos for each of them to sleep the night away in. With a few "good nights" exchanged among them, they each fell into a peaceful sleep.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

The following morning went by uneventfully, as they each awoke early in the morning, and enjoyed a quick meal before heading off.

Mario, with the Star Navigator out once more, looked at the map to be sure they were on the correct path, with Boone and Shelly following closely behind. Satisfied with the direction, Mario put the Navigator away.

They continued their journey, following the winding trail for miles. The surrounding forest seemed peaceful, yet imposing at the same time, no thanks to the darkened skies. Therefore, Mario and Shelly remained on their toes, expecting an attack at any given moment. Boone, however, was a relaxed as could be, hands behind his head as he enjoyed the light breeze that blew to their side.

As the early morning gave way to midday, the group managed to be nearing the end of the forest, as the trees became scarcer. Along their way, they encountered few rogues. They were nothing more than mere Goombas, although some seemed to be of Bowser's army. Nonetheless, they were quickly dispatched by Mario's hammer, and the group continued on its way.

The thinning trees eventually gave in to another forest, although this one was visibly smaller than the other, with a large hill in the way of the path at the end.

Shelly, being a bit keener with her sight, was able to see a slight glow on top of the hill, as well as a slightly weaker glow from behind the hill. "Hey guys," she said. "I think something's up there. I can't tell exactly what, but there is definitely something there." She pointed out.

Mario squinted slightly before seeing the glow Shelly had mentioned.

"Well what are we going to do?" asked Boone. "Should we check it out?"

Mario nodded, and the group began to run towards the hill, attempting to make it there before the sky would darken further. As they ran by the blurring trees, a few flashes of white caught Shelly's eye.

"What the…what was that?" she said, stopping suddenly. She walked over to the edge of the path, and looked into the trees, but failed to see any white, only a few random Dark Boos and Buzzy Beetles. She shrugged. "I guess…it was nothing. Meh, probably my imagination." She said before turning and rejoining the other two, both of whom had stopped when they realized Shelly wasn't with them.

Mario asked her what was wrong, but Shelly merely told him it was nothing. 'And yet,' she thought, 'I'm sure I saw something. Unmistakably, there was something white in there.'

They continued running, and before long made it up the hill. Upon reaching the top, they were shocked to see a small sphere, glowing in multiple mixes of colors. Roughly a foot in diameter, it rested on a small stone pedestal. Shelly's curiosity got the best of her, and she began to slowly walk to the sphere, mesmerized by the glow. Mario and Boone made no move to stop her, as Mario knew exactly what it was, recognizing it from similar ones from back when Bowser stole the Star Rod. It was a Level-Up Sphere, designed to increase the combat abilities of the one to grab it.

Shelly did just that, and was engulfed in a brilliant flash of light, and a few gasps could be heard from behind the group, but Mario and Boone didn't hear them. The light died down moments later, with darkness beginning to consume the area. Shelly was grinning as it ended, a feeling of new-found power within her.

**Shelly can now use the 'Chuck' attack. With this, she may grab a foe and toss them at another. The power of the attack depends upon the mass of the tossed foe.**

A few "oh's" were heard from behind them, this time a bit louder than before, catching the group's attention. "What was that?" Shelly asked, thrashing her head about, trying to find the source of the noise.

Boone put his head to the ground before standing back up, and pointing in a direction behind them. "Sounds like there's about five or so creatures standing right below the top of the hill. I would guess that they were watching us."

"But why?" Shelly asked. "Think they're trying to ambush us?" Mario began to think, but shrugged, unsure.

Mario and Boone each pulled out their respective hammer and boomerang, slowly creeping towards the drop. Just as they raised their weapons above the edge, a small, child-like voice cried out.

"Wait! Don't hurt us!" Someone, a girl by the voice, shouted. Five Punies crawled up, but each was covered in what looked like crayon or paint. Suddenly, in several poofs of smoke, the five disappeared. In their place stood five Duplighosts, each different from the last and their sheet bodies covered in scribbled drawings of paint and crayon. A younger one walked out from the edge of the group, her head looking towards the ground. She had a ponytail of blond hair, and had a few drawings of flowers and a mushroom on her.

"Please…don't hurt us. We didn't mean to scare you or anything. We were just…curious," she said, still looking at the ground. The others were doing the same, bowing slightly with frightened expressions. "Our people are just a little desperate, that's all. We heard in our village that three people were coming through that just won a fight against the toughest crook in Koopolis."

"Wow," said Shelly, surprised. "Word travels fast."

"Yes," the Duplighost said. "Anyways, we heard about the fight, and thought that if we asked, maybe we could get some help. You see, we've had some trouble for a while now with some Beezos. And, well, I think our Elder can tell you more. He's at our village, and we can take you there right now. It's just down the hill, see?"

Sure enough, there was a village with homes and buildings below, with what looked to be tens of more Duplighosts working. The young Duplighost began to talk again to the team.

"So, could you come with us and talk with our Elder? Please…our people are in desperate need of help. Too much has been…lost." She sniffed, before turning and walking away, a few tears beginning to leave her eyes.

An older Duplighost, this one obviously male, walked up. "Sorry, she's slightly troubled. But we do need your help. So I'll ask again, will you come with us?" the deep voice of the Duplighost asked.

Mario was quick to nod, a smile on his face as he gave his reply. Boone and Shelly were behind him, both smiling and offering their help to the Duplighosts. The five ghosts immediately began to cheer up, and led the group down the hill into the village.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

About an hour later, Mario, Shelly, and Boone were sitting on separate chairs in the small house of the Duplighost Elder. Across the room, the Elder was settling himself down on a chair after helping the young Duplighost from before sit down as well. She had finished crying a few minutes ago, but a few tears were still escaping from her eyes.

"Now, where to begin?" pondered the Elder. He was a decrepit old Duplighost, his sheet body beginning to show wear as it had holes and tears all along it, along with his face having a gray Merlin beard coming down. "I presume you have all received enough information to know that our village is being plagued by some troublesome Beezos. Well, things have been that way for a while now. In fact, for at least twenty years they've been attacking us, coming from their hive castle and leading random onslaughts, sometimes even taking our people captive."

Hearing this, the young Duplighost began to wail once more, and with a mumbled "excuse me," left the house, and ran off to her own home.

"What was that about?" asked a bewildered Shelly. Then, in a more concerned voice, she asked "Is she alright? Did something happen to her due to those Beezos?"

The Elder sighed. "Indeed. She lost her family, that is, her parents and her brother to one of the raids. They came at night, and she never knew until morning. And that was years ago, when she was very young. We haven't heard word about them since."

Shelly gasped. "That's terrible! That poor girl, I hope that her family is still alright…even if the chances are slim."

"Yes, but you see how urgent this is now. The very future of our humble village is in jeopardy from these creatures. Even worse, they seem to be getting worse, their attacks have been more ordered the past few days. It's as if something is leading them, something that knows what it's doing. Please, you must stop them. The entire village begs of you!"

Mario nodded his agreement, assuring the Elder that they would surely help and rid the menace. Shelly and Boone were right there with him, each giving the Elder their word that they would help.

"Thank you," whispered the Elder. "Thank you some much. You all have no idea how much this means to us. We promise, we will do anything to repay you if you succeed. But now, I bid you farewell. You may stay at our town's hotel for the night; rest is undoubtedly what you will need for your journey."

"Ah, thank you so much, Elder," said Boone. "Your hospitality is greatly appreciated. We won't let you down."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Leaving the Elder's house, Mario and co. began making their way to the village's hotel, following the directions they were given by the Elder. As they took a turn on one street, they walked by several houses, with the hotel at the end. Passing by one, they heard a slight cough from the door.

Shelly turned to look, and saw the young Duplighost from before, a sad expression clearly visible on her face.

"I want to tell you how much it means to me that you three are helping us," she said. "And, if you can, could you check to see if any captives are still…alive?"

"Your family?" Shelly asked. The Duplighost nodded slightly.

"Yes. But please, at least save the village. I would be extremely happy if you did."

Shelly smiled, walking over and grabbing the Duplighost's hand. "No problem. We promise, we will do our best to save this village."

With that, Mario, Shelly, and Boone turned and headed to the hotel, each getting a room and some needed sleep, knowing full well the challenges to come. Mario, curious about something, pulled out the Navigator, and looked at the map. He looked at the castle containing the Mega Star, and touched it on the holo-screen. Suddenly, the map zoomed in, before projecting a three-dimensional model of the castle. It looked like a hive.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

The Duplighost was lying on her bed, her thoughts in a random mess about what to do. 'I fully believe that those three will succeed but, I'm still afraid they won't. Something tells me that I should do something. Besides, if I go, I could maybe find everyone.' Smiling, she closed her eyes and began to fall asleep. 'Yeah,' she thought. 'That's exactly what I'll do. I'll go and help, for my family, and for everyone.'

* * *

**Whew, and there goes another chapter. That Duplighost's name will be revealed in the next chapter. The reason: I still need to think of one! So, if anyone has any ideas, I'm all ears. I've already got stuff like "Duplyssa" (Think: Alyssa) or "Duplinda."**

**...**

**Yeah I dunno. Lame names, I now. TRYIN' TO BE ORIGINAL HERE! But, that aside, look forward to the next chapter. Should be up in about a week or so, unless school decides to be a bugger. (Just watch, I know it will be.)**


	11. Chapter 10

**Well, after an uncalled-for two week hiatus, I'm back! School has kept me unreasonable busy for the past two weeks, so sorry that there hasn't been any updates in that time. But now here it is, although a bit shorter and concise. Sorry about that, I tried to get it done in the time I had to do it. Hopefully, I can get back to the one-update-a-week schedule. Not sure though, since AP exams are coming up in May. Gotta study up for AP Bio and AP Human Geography! Now on to the chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 10: Buzzin' Beezos Bother Boone (And just about everyone else)

The following day, Mario and co. left their respective rooms, and began to head out of the hotel and get on their way. Stopping by the Duplighost Elder's house, they gave a few words of thanks for the town's hospitality, and began to find their way to the path leading out of town.

It was when they reached the edge of town and were about to enter a forest that they heard a slight cough behind them. Turning around, Mario, Shelly, and Boone saw a blur of white before a Goomba appeared, slightly frightened before turning around and hiding behind a house. Shelly ran ahead of the other two before turning at the building at stopping at the Goomba. It slowly turned to face Shelly, and in a poof of smoke changed into a Duplighost. In fact, it was the same Duplighost they had met the previous night, wearing a slightly nervous expression, as if searching to find what to say. Her sheet body was cleared of any previous crayon drawings.

"Uh, hi," she nervously began. "I was just a bit curious. I mean, I know you guys are off to save our village, and doing it just because, without repay or anything. And I was thinking last night that I haven't done just about anything to help. Just mope around about the whole thing."

Mario and Shelly were listening intently to what the young Duplighost had to say, while Boone was distracted by some flitting shapes in the dark sky.

"So what exactly are you getting at?" asked Shelly with an inquisitive look on her face.

The Duplighost sighed, taking a cleansing breath before continuing. "I'd like to come with you guys," she mumbled, her head looking toward the ground. "I feel that I need to do something, to help in some way. And I think that helping you guys is the only way."

"Hmm…" Mario said as he began to think. The Duplighost stood by, still looking nervously at the ground as she waited for the reply, knowing that Mario would never let her. Her thoughts were interrupted as Mario gave a simple "okay" answer, smiling as she looked up, surprise covering her face.

"Wha…what?" she stuttered. "You'll really let me join you?" Mario nodded in reply. At this point, Shelly was also smiling at the Duplighost, happy that the young girl would join.

"I'm sure you'll be a great addition to our team," said Shelly. "We will probably need all the help we can get on this journey. Plus, having another girl besides myself here will be nice for once."

At this point, the Duplighost was smiling as well, gratitude shining in her eyes. "Oh, thank you guys so much! I promise you this, I won't let you down! Oh, and I guess I never really introduced myself before. So yeah, my name is Duplissa, and I promise I'll help out in any way possible!"

**Congradulations! The shape-shifting Duplighost, Duplissa, has joined your team! Her abilities can help you to blend in with the environment, or even copy a nearby enemy's identity! In combat, she can help fool enemies to avoid attacks, or headbutt them with a sudden burst of flight!**

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Shortly after that, the new group of four started off once again, heading into the forest on their way to the castle, containing both the lost citizens, and the Mega Star. Several hours passed on the trail, with few minor interferences by some Goomba and Koopa bandits. Shelly made short work of most of them using her new-found ability, hurling the shocked creatures at one another.

Besides this, Shelly spent a good deal of time talking to Duplissa, explaining their quest to get the Mega Stars, and explaining the link between them and the darkness. It seemed that Duplissa's village wasn't well connected to much of the outside world, even if they were rather up to date on technology.

Duplissa also spent some time explaining about herself. They came to know that she was a budding artist, but lack of paper sometimes caused her to doodle on herself sometimes. Her family had been the one to inspire her creativity in drawing, so she continued doing so as it made her feel connected still.

Boone had been paying attention for the most part, but kept shutting it out as he would focus on the sky or the surrounding woods. Ever since earlier that day, he had been continually bothered by a feeling that they were being watched or followed, and he couldn't shake it. 'Whatever it is, it better know what it's up against. I'd almost feel bad for pounding on something if it isn't necessary.'

To make matters worse for Boone, it had only gotten worse. More and more fleeting shadows were darting across his line of vision, yet each was always going in the same direction, the direction _they_ were going in. 'So wherever Mario is leading us, it seems we'll see these things sooner or later.' Also, Boone could have sworn he heard buzzing several times as larger swarms of the creatures flew by. And yet, no one else seemed to really notice them.

A few more miles down the road, and the forest began to open up, eventually showing a large grassy plain that looked to extend for miles all around. A few hills rose up in random spots, and a river could be heard in the east. But perhaps the most stunning was the amount of flowers dotting the landscape. It was absolutely awe-inspiring, as the group began to walk into the seemingly fantasy area.

"It's so…pretty." said Duplissa as she began to walk to a small patch of flowers.

"Yeah, I see what you mean." said Shelly in reply. She began to walk around to get a better look at things, as Mario and Boone merely hung around, looking for any signs of the castle.

Mario had out the Star Navigator, looking intently at its holo-display. From what it was telling him, the castle should have been right there. It should have been clearly visible to them, imposing and massive in the darkness. And yet, there was nothing.

For Boone, the whole thing was unsettling. One thing was the there were no more creatures flying past him. It just suddenly stopped as they came out. And two was that if the Navigator was saying the castle was there, something must be up. 'This can't be all that it seems. There must be something that-Oh no!' he thought, his eyes suddenly growing wide in realization. "Duplissa, don't touch the-"

(Insert siren noises here)

"-flowers. Aw crud, this can't be good."

And sure enough, it wasn't. The landscape began rumbling as the ground in front of them broke in a massive fissure. The fissure began to grow to create a huge circular crater in the ground, before a structure began to rise from the depths only moments later. The flowers around them died as well, the ground graying before completely turning to dust, all in a matter of seconds.

Duplissa dropped the flowers in shock, backing away quickly from the rising structure as fear gripped at her, terror flooding her eyes. "No…" she whispered.

Mario, Shelly, and Boone were on the ground from the tremors, knocked down by the power generated by them. The structure continued to rise, stretching well over a hundred feet, and having the look of a giant beehive. Finally it stopped, and with it did the tremors. Mario and co. stood back up, and began to regain composure, but Duplissa stood slowly, visibly shaking from the event.

"It…it's the castle. T-That's definitely it. And that means that…"

She was interrupted immediately by a humming that came from the internal structure of the castle. Seconds later, it picked up, this time becoming a buzzing noise that gradually increased in volume.

It was Boone's turn to be wide-eyed, as he realized that this was the source of what was bugging him the whole day. Truly _bugging_ him.

"What's in there?" asked Shelly, a slight hint of fear in her voice. Her answer came moments later as a huge swarm of yellow creatures with pitchforks came flying out of the castle.

Beezos.

* * *

**And done with that chapter. Thank goodness I could have the time to do it today, I had to LITERALLY spend all day doing homework yesterday so that I could have a free day today. Let me tell you, English Book Reviews are absolute evil. Four hours for me to do it, even though about two are spent procrastinating on the computer (Youtube is my best friend during those times). And then a bunch of other stuff.**

**Oh well, I can't wait for these next 50 days to go by. School's out in that time (Weekends included)! My birthday coming up in a few weeks, plus after AP exams those two classes will be free time every day. And the end of the Track season! I intend to go out with a bang on the JV Championships. And lastly, to get a job! WOO! Got to pay for a car, college, and more importantly, a DS Lite (No, DSi's are lame) and Pokemon Platinum!  
See you guys next time!**


	12. Chapter 11

**And after a day past my usual update, I got the new chapter up. Yippee. Hope you all enjoy this one, I know I enjoyed writing it. Thankfully, school hasn't been annoying to me recently, although I was hopping around on one foot all weekend due to a sprained ankle that I got. At the end of my 4x400 race. Right as passed the finish line. Perfect timing, but oh-so annoying.  
ANYWHO, enough of my ramblings here. Enjoy this installment, and keep the reviews. Seriously though, there are one or two who review each chapter, and yet I see you all viewing this story, it keeps getting more views everytime I update. (Naw, just joking. You guys don't have to review if you don't want to, just trying to make you feel guilty :p)**

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Chapter 11: Kamek's Crowning Achievement

Beezos were absolutely everywhere, making yellow the only thing that Mario and co. could see. Their incessant buzzing filled the air, so much so that they couldn't even hear their own thoughts.

"Mario!" yelled Shelly over the noise. "You got a plan here? Because I don't think we have very long before these guys take us out!"

Mario was at a loss. He had put up with Beezos before, but they were only in sparse numbers, coming at him two or three at a time. Never had hundreds attacked him at once. This was just unprecedented. His face gave away his uneasiness to the rest of the team, only further raising their fear.

'Oh no,' thought Duplissa. 'I just join them, and now we've lost, and I can't even do anything to fight these things. Unless…' She snapped her fingers, shouting "That's it!"

The others turned to look at Duplissa, her sudden outburst surprising each of them. Duplissa smiled, her idea quickly formulating in her head.

"I know exactly what we can do. But I can only do it to one person, so Boone and Shelly, you guys will have to hide away. Then, I can use my shape-shifting powers to disguise us as two more Beezos. They won't even know the difference, since their brains are tiny."

Shelly was amazed at Duplissa's plan, previously unaware of the young Duplighost's potential intelligence. "You know," she shouted. "That could work!"

So Shelly and Boone quickly hid away **(AN: Wherever Mario puts his Partners in those games. They just, disappear. Go figure)**. Mario nodded to show he was ready. Nervously, Duplissa walked over, and putting her hand on Mario's shoulder, began to concentrate on the form of a Beezo. Within seconds, the illusion was set, and both Mario and Duplissa were perfect copies of Beezos.

With that, the Beezo swarm began to quickly disperse, seeing as the intruders were no longer identifiable to them. All they saw were two simple Beezos, no different from themselves. They began to filter out, buzzing on back to their hive castle, with Mario and Duplissa in tow.

"We can just follow them back into the castle I would think. Then we could go look for that Mega Star and the missing Duplighosts…if they're still alive." She said, whispering the last few words with fear hitting her heart.

Mario merely nodded in agreement. He was positive that the other Duplighost villagers would still be alive. But he had to agree, that there was a fear that they may not be okay. He did not want to think of that possibility.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Once inside the castle, Duplissa dispelled the illusion. The Beezo swarm had already disbanded, each going its own way to whichever area of the castle the dwelled. Mario and Duplissa were hopelessly lost, but began their search anyways.

The main foyer of the castle was huge to say the least, containing about only four doors, two on their ground level, two above on a staircase. Checking the first two doors got them nowhere. The first was a Beezo nursery. Needless to say, they dashed out quickly before hundreds of mini-pitchforks were thrown at them.

The next room was at least better, but still did not get them anywhere. Mario found a warp pipe within the small room, containing only a few bookcases. Jumping in, Mario and Duplissa jumped back out moments later in strange, blocky forms.

"Woah! What is this?" Duplissa asked, obviously shocked at her alteration.

They left the room, and were immediately returned to normal, much to the relief of Duplissa. Mario didn't seem to mind either way.

They continued up the stairs and entered a room, which seemed to be the correct one this time. Several Beezos that happened to be passing by came at them, a fight ensuing. Mario took his hammer, knocking two into each other, leaving one left. Duplissa then head-butted it with a sudden jump, KO-ing the Beezo.

Moving on, they walked on through the room, giant pillars rising up in seemingly random arrangements, and giant holes dotting the walls, obviously acting at quick transportation ways for the Beezos.

Another staircase greeted them, which they began a long trek up. Before long, they came to another hallway of a multitude of doors. At this point, Mario called out Shelly and Boone again to help in searching each door individually for the next way through. More and more Beezos seemed to be arriving, and by the time they found the way out, they were all hit with fatigue.

Mario pulled out several mushrooms, passing them among the team. They ate them quickly, and were soon ready to move on. Passing through the correct door that Boone had found, they moved on into the next corridor. This one was different however it smelled-

"Sweet. It smells like sugar or something in here." said Boone. He was looking all over the torch-lit corridor for the source, but could find nothing.

Shelly face-palmed herself. "Maybe you would actually see the source if your helmet wasn't blocking out most of your vision. It's just honey."

"Oh, heh heh," Boone laughed sheepishly, pulling his helmet back up. "Well, I would guess that we would be getting close then. That would seem right since they are a bunch of bees."

"Actually," interrupted Shelly. "They're just a bunch of weird Shy Guys that went off on their own a long time ago. But enough of that! I can hear a lot of buzzing just ahead!"

Sure enough, as they all quieted down, a buzzing could be heard emanating from the end of the hall. They began to run as fast as they could, avoiding splotches of honey as they continued on their way. It ended in a hexagonal hole, like so many they found scattered randomly throughout the castle.

"Well, I guess there's only one way through." said Shelly as she scrambled through.

Mario, Boone, and Duplissa looked at each other, before Boone shrugged and began to scurry in. Mario followed, and Duplissa, hesitant at first, followed them. The hole opened up into a huge chamber, lit only by the torches that were scattered throughout the area. This room was also more heavily coated with the honey, and hundreds of the hexagon passages were lining the walls.

"So…what now?" Shelly asked. It truly seemed as if there was nothing in the room, even with the minor visibility.

"I don't know," said Boone. "But in my experiences, I wouldn't risk moving forward just yet. Let me just-yah!" he said with a shout, throwing his boomerang across the room. Moments later, a sound, similar to wood hitting wood, resonated throughout the room, before the boomerang miraculously came back. "Yeah…no idea how it does that." He said as Duplissa gave him a weird look.

Suddenly, the room began to shake as a slight breeze picked up. A buzz, louder than any they had heard before began to pick up, as two piercing red eyes opened from across the room, staring directly at the group.

"BZZZZZZZZZZZ! Who chucked that stick at me?!" a voice shrieked, clearly coming from the direction of the eyes.

"Uh, if I say I did, what exactly does that-GAH!" Boone shouted as a two-pronged pitchfork was shot at him, catching him between the tines before trapping him in the wall.

"Mamma-mia!" shouted Mario in shock. Suddenly, the buzzing picked up as the eyes approached, soon revealing a Shy Guy mask, and soon enough, a yellow body. It was a Beezo, but not just any normal one. This particular Beezo was at least thirty feet tall, with a complementary giant pitchfork, and a small golden crown adorning its head.

"Heh, you meddlesome creature had what was coming to you. Clocking me in the head, the KING, for all that matters! I should have my subjects execute you now, but I feel unusually kind today. Instead, I will destroy you myself. An honor really, since that almost never happens."

A normal Beezo flew up to where the King Beezo's ear would have been, making unintelligible buzzing noises to him as he nodded in acknowledgement. "Ah that's right. It's never happened before. What an honor for you four!" he laughed.

"Not much of an honor if you ask me." grumbled Shelly as she crossed her arms.

"Silence you insolent grub!"

"Yeah, love to but kinda in a hurry here. We don't want to bother you, just get a certain Mega Star here. Our little map said it'd be here, so we came to get it. You know, save the world stuff."

The King Beezo began to laugh, a deep resounding laugh that seemed to make the floor and walls shake, knocking loose some dust from the ceiling. "Sorry fools, but that is impossibility. My lord, Kamek, gave me his complete trust in guarding that silly little star. He granted me my power, so I, in return, guard that star for him and the King Bowser."

At this point, Shelly had just about had it with the Beezo, and with a yell, began to run at him for a blow. She head-butted him, and the battle for the second Mega Star began…

* * *

**Haha! And the evil cliffhanger strikes again! Next chapter: The battle with King Beezo! Woo! I'm separating this from the battle, mainly because I wanted to put a bit more effort into a fight scene. Plus, I felt this chapter was long enough.**

**See you guys next time!**


	13. Chapter 12

**Okay, so a bit late with this update. I blame my English teacher, she's really out to get me (And everyone else in her classes). Too much work from her, plus AP testing next Monday and Friday, AND my AP Bio finals were yesterday and today. ABSOLUTELY STINKIN' WONDERFUL.  
But besides that, my birthday did just go by (Cinco de Mayo, how awesome is that?!), and my parents got me a new DS Lite and a game called Bangai-O Spirits (look it up. It's like Ikaruga.), both of which are coming in the mail, hopefully by tomorrow.  
****So I'll try to keep these updates on my Sunday release schedule, we'll just have to see how things work out. Once summer starts, things will be good then, don't worry.**

**And now a thanks to Starrgrl24 and Dynamite Dude for their reviews. I love seeing that so many enjoy my story, thanks so much! Now for a (hopefully) exciting battle!**

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Chapter 12: End of a Dynasty

Shelly landed a hit on King Beezo as a stage from nowhere set itself up around everyone, with an audience forming to watch the fight. Duplissa and Boone hid away to wait for the time in which they may be needed in the battle.

With the ram attack on King Beezo, he began to fume and proceeded to throw another massive twin-pronged pitchfork. Shelly yipped as she ducked to narrowly avoid the attack. The fork continued on, slamming into the wall, further shaking up the room. A loose brick fell from its place in the ceiling, falling onto the King's head.

"Grrr…I thought I had some of the workers fix that problem days ago. I'll have to be sure to find out who was slacking. Haven't had an execution in a while..." he said while rubbing the sore spot on his head. Whistling, he smiled as a small swarm of four other Beezos flew in from the holes.

Mario and Shelly had no time to react. With unbelievable speed, the Beezos sped through Mario and Shelly, laying a large amount of damage to the both of them. Shelly seemed to have suffered the majority of the injuries, while Mario was hurt, but still in good shape. The Beezos returned to the King, taking up a post in front of him as a guarding wall.

"Jeez, those guys sure know how to hurt," said Shelly as she clutched her side in pain. The multiple wounds from the pitchforks were beginning to take their toll on her. "I don't know if I can take much more of this Mario. You may need to get Boone or Duplissa out here to help pretty soon."

Mario nodded, acknowledging his partner's increasing pain. He began to perform a Multi-Jump, hitting the mark on the first three Beezos, but missing the last one as it managed to slide to the left at the last second. Picking himself up, Mario ran on back as the three he nailed disappeared in puffs of smoke.

It was Shelly's turn to attack. With a running start, she grabbed the remaining Beezo, and doing a spin to gain speed and power, launched the Beezo at the King. It him right in his face, and he winced in pain as he rubbed the spot where it hit. Taking his pitchfork, he threw it in such way that it somehow split into two separate parts, one big and one small.

Once more it was too fast to even react, and Mario and Shelly were hit extremely hard by the spear-like parts. This was too much for Shelly, and she was thrown back into a pillar, shaking the room even more. Several more bricks fell onto the King, who was visibly taking damage from several droppings. He whistled once more, calling another wave of three Beezos.

Shelly was clearly too beat up to fight any further. But she did manage to see the loosening bricks. "Hey Mario," she said weakly as he came to check on her. "I'm done for here. Get Boone Duplissa to finish the fight, they'll be able to do a lot more than I did. But I did see something that may help us out. The bricks keep falling on him when stuff shakes the room. Take for example, when he misses his throws. If we keep that up, we could knock him down, added with our own attacks."

Mario agreed, realizing how genius Shelly's plan was. Shelly retreated away, and Mario called Duplissa out to help him finish the fight. He knew what could be done quickly and effectively.

"So what's the plan, Mario?" asked Duplissa, and Mario whispered it in reply. "Oh…okay, I think I can do it. Don't worry, I won't let you down."

As she finished, Mario prepped himself for a jump. Getting a running start, he leapt onto the King Beezo, performing a Power Jump on his head. The damage was beginning to seriously take its toll on the King, who was starting to have a slightly wobbled hover.

"That's it, I have had quite enough of you pests!" he yelled with one hand clutching his head, the other clutching his spear. Ordering the three surrounding Beezos to attack, they quickly moved in the same light-speed manner, only this time Mario and Duplissa were ready.

At the very last moment, Duplissa grabbed Mario, and disguised them both as common Beezos. Confused and distraught, the Beezos avoided them, but could not slow their flight quickly enough. They each slammed face first into the wall, disappearing into three puffs of smoke. The speed combined with the already shaken room made even more stones from the ceiling fall, this time all over. The King could not dodge the stones as hundreds fell from the ceiling, making the entire ceiling fall and the shaded sky reveal itself. Many Beezos fled in the event, and they could be seen from the hole as they made their mad escape away to any place they could find refuge.

The King was completely buried, his body unmoving underneath the rubble. Mario and Duplissa had their share of injuries, Mario badly scraped and bruised, but Duplissa was mostly okay, due to turning into a Cleft in fear.

"Heh heh, sorry Mario, I was a bit afraid there," she said sheepishly as she transformed back into her normal form. "If that all didn't happen so fast, I would have gotten you to. Sorry…"

But her apology was cut short as the rubble began to shift, and the King slowly rose to his feet, and began to lift himself into the air from the broken stones. He looked around and saw that the castle room had collapsed on top of them, but left the rest of the structure mostly unharmed. Angered, he pulled out another pitchfork, readying himself for any attack.

Mario pulled himself back up, and stepped into his fighting stance, despite his injuries. Duplissa looked to him nervously, afraid that his injuries would be too much for him, but relaxed these fears, as he pulled out his hammer, fierce determination visible across his face.

"You miserable fools," wheezed King Beezo, his hovering clearly erratic now. "I will finish you…for my people…for King Bowser…and for Lord Kamek. You will…never…get that Star. Not even from my cold, dead grasp!" he yelled, thrusting his spear out at Mario. Mario in turn took his hammer, and threw it at the pitchfork. Both collided, knocking each other to the ground.

The King was fuming, but was out of ideas. He had thrown his last pitchfork, and most of his fellow Beezos were either dead, hiding, or fled in the collapse. There was no turning back now he realized, and that this was probably his last stand. 'There is no way I shall lose this Star. Lord Kamek, you have my word.' he thought, grimacing at the realization of things.

Duplissa took advantage of the distraction, and readying herself, she made a leap at the King. Taken by the unexpected attack, the King's thoughts were broken, and he had no time to avoid the attack. Duplissa hit him head on, and with a grunt of surprise, fell back to the ground, defeated.

"Well done…you have managed to defeat me…sorry Kamek…I failed your bidding." he said, gasping for breath as he spoke.

Then, in a sudden flash of colored fireworks, King Beezo was destroyed, and all trace of him erased in the explosions. A large golden key appeared in his place as a strange music began to play from seemingly nowhere.

Mario and Duplissa looked at each other confused before a teenage green Yoshi with flaming orange hair came scurrying through one of the honeycomb holes. Grabbing the key, he did a quick little victory breakdance before noticing Mario and Duplissa standing there, staring.

A huge grin spread across his face, and he ran over to Mario screaming, "GONZALES! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S YOU MAN!"

"Uh Mario, who exactly is this kid…" asked Duplissa, slightly frightened from the hyper activeness of the Yoshi.

The Yoshi looked at her indignantly and whined, "What, you've never heard of me? Gonzales, er, Mario here looked after me after I hatched from an egg over at the greatest place in the world, the Glitz Pit! I go as The Great Gonzales Jr. over there, but normally I'm just Onat2 **(AN: Yeah, that's what I named the Yoshi kid in TTYD. Got a problem with it?!)**. Anyways Mario, if you're wondering why I'm out here, it's because some freak went and stole the champion belt from me. Right when I go to eat, and next thing I know, it's gone, with this guy leaving all sorts of notes and stuff for me to follow. And the only way to keep going on is to find these stinking keys he leaves all over!"

Mario went and patted him on the back to calm his frustrations, which seemed to work.

"Yeah, thanks Gonzales, er, Mario. I need to work on that. But yeah, thanks for getting that key out there for me. Made this part a whole lot easier than I had thought. But better be on my way. I got King K and Bandy Andy helping me out. Don't want to keep those two waiting. Later dude!" he yelled, hopping on piles of rubble before jumping off of the castle.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Mario and Duplissa made their way into an adjacent room, and found the Mega Star waiting for them. Its glow was a nice bright change to the dim world, and it disappeared all too soon as Mario grabbed the Star, and put it within the Star Navigator, with an exhausted Shelly, Boone, and Duplissa all around him, watching.

**End of Chapter**

**Yeah, I couldn't resist the last bit with Yoshi (Onat2).**

**...**

**Yes, I really did name him that. I couldn't think of anything else, and having just plain Yoshi in TTYD seemed boring. A little self-obsession never hurt anybody (That I know of enough to care about at least). See you guys in a few days. I hope to get the next update on Sunday, so keep looking!**

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	14. Chapter 13

**Alright, AP testing is done! Although, my AP Human Geography test may be voided (This is why I don't like the people in that class). Oh well, I fight my case if necessary. But back to a happier thing, I have Platinum! Let's see, had it for just over a week, and now about to fight Byron. How long is this game anyways?! To add to that, I must admit that Crasher Wake is probably one of the best Gym Leaders in any Pokemon game. I think it's the whole masked wrestler look, but I can't help but put StrongBad's voice to him.**

**Anyways, I'd like to thank Starrgrl24 for letting me borrow the Toadies Mitch, Bob, and Carl for a cameo here at the beginning. I hope I captured them well enough, sorry if I didn't! I could always edit if you guys think I should. And thanks everyone for the reviews!**

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Chapter 13: Heading Back to Koopolis

Kamek was currently busying himself by looking into his crystal ball at the battle that had just transpired. An "instant replay" was blinking at the top right of it as he saw again and again how King Beezo fell, exploded, and Onat2 made his entrance. To say that Kamek was furious was an understatement. He was humiliated beyond all reason, the pride and joy that he had put into the carefully thought out plan crushed by Mario's victory.

"Grrr, that annoying little pest. And that Yoshi kid as well. I HATE YOSHIS! They just make me want to…"

At the moment, the Toadies, Carl, Mitch, and Bob, happened to be casually flying past Kamek's room when they heard Kamek scream at the top of his lungs an insult they had not heard since Kamek had failed to defeat the Yoshi's years ago.

"Oh! Kamek said something he shouldn't!" the Carl gasped in a sing-song voice. He opened Kamek's door with a goofy grin, and the other two followed suit. Kamek turned around fuming, facing the Toadies with his anger about to reach a tipping point.

"Just what do you want?! I thought I fired you fools back after you failed to stop the Yoshis and get that baby!"

"Yeah, but most of us just decided to hang around anyways. We had nothing better to do." said Bob as he floated around Kamek's room looking at the books that lay scattered about.

"Well then do me a favor and get out of my life for once!"

"We have. For what, fifty years? How old are you now Kamek?" asked Mitch. He had meant it as a light-hearted joke, but with Kamek's current mood, it was taken a lot worse

"GET OUT!" Kamek roared, tossing his crystal ball at Mitch, who dodged it, letting the ball crash into the wall and shatter.

"Oh, now I gotta tell Bowser you did three things wrong! Failing, throwing stuff, and saying the 'bad thing.'" Mitch said as he quickly flew out Kamek's doorway and down the hall. Carl and Bob couldn't tell whether to stay or run, which they wisely chose the latter, following after Mitch. They arrived moments later to a bored-looking Bowser, to whom Mitch told everything to.

"So what is it this time…hey wait a minute, didn't I banish you all after you failed to get Kamek the baby Mario Bros.?!" Bowser asked, beginning to stand up and prepare to pummel them.

Bob sighed. "How many times do we have to say it today? We just decided to hang around, jeez. I didn't think that there would be a problem with it. Did you guys?"

"Naw, I thought it'd be cool if we were still here. I mean, if we left, we'd have to get REAL jobs." Carl said.

"Actually, I knew there would be a problem sooner or later-OW!" exclaimed Mitch as he rubbed where he had just been hit in the head by Carl.

"No you didn't!"

"Okay, okay! I don't really care about your reasons. Just tell me why you came down here because there had to be a reason." Bowser said rubbing his temples from the headache developing from them.

Mitch realized how far they had veered off of their original purpose for being in the throne room. "Oh yeah, so Kamek was doing something…but we really didn't see what. But next thing we knew, we heard him say…" Bowser's eyes widened in shock.

"KAMEK!"

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

_Back in Kamek's room_…

Kamek slapped himself for being foolish, and slowly made his way down to Bowser's throne room, grumbling along the way. He passed Kammy outside of the throne room, who sniggered in delight at Kamek's fate.

Kamek entered the room, slowly walking before a furious Bowser. He bowed down in respect, before being knocked in the head by dark energy.

"Kamek, you know how serious this is. A triple whammy of terrible deeds? Heh, I've got the ideal punishment for you." Bowser said while crossing his arms.

"Yes Master, I know my mistake. Go ahead; punish me for whatever you feel is just."

Bowser closed his eyes in deep thought before snapping his fingers in sudden realization. "Got it! Kamek, your punishment for this unforgivable threesome of acts has brought it to that you are to be beaten by Onat2. He just got here, and wanted to fight you."

After Bowser finished, an explosion broke a hole into the wall of the throne room, revealing Onat2 with a team of ten Bob-Ombs standing by. Onat2 jumped in, and waved goodbye to the Bob-Ombs.

"Hey, thanks for that! I promise I'll pay you back for this in the Glitz Pit. Free food for a week!" He yelled.

"Alright!"

"Cool!"

"Thanks dude!"

Kamek was wide-eyed in shock and fury as the scene unfolded. He turned to look at Bowser, to reason with him, but Bowser just turned away smirking. Kamek sighed, before pulling his wand out from his sleeve and prepping a spell.

"Crud, there goes a great week! Way to ruin it Yoshi! Way to ruin it!" he yelled as he used his own enlarging spell on himself, readying for battle.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

After grabbing the Mega Star, Mario and friends continued a quick search throughout the castle, and managed to find the prison chamber. It was absolutely filled with captive Duplighosts, and Duplissa was overjoyed to see her family once more. After a short reunion, Mario and Boone helped to get everyone out of the castle safe and sound. This went without a hitch, and everyone was soon out back into the darkened world.

The freed Duplighosts were escorted back to the village, where everyone was met with teary reunions. Husbands, wives, children, parents, all were reunited. The elder came and thanked Mario, Shelly, and Boone for their help, and then walked over to Duplissa, who was currently enjoying the company of her family. He gave his thanks, and moved on, welcoming back the other Duplighosts that had been returned.

Mario brought his team over to a Toad Hotel within the town, where they checked in for a time to rest and heal. They were all dog-tired, and Shelly immediately crashed on her bed, asleep.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

A few hours later, Duplissa came by the hotel after asking around town for their whereabouts. She walked in to find all three asleep in beds, except for Boone, who was lying across a chair with his boomerang somehow propping his head up. Drool was also pouring out of his mouth in torrents as he snored.

Duplissa stared at him, then shook her head, muttering, "It's a wonder he hasn't drowned or something."

She turned her attention to Mario and Shelly, who were occupying the two beds. Shelly was sprawled out, her mask twisted in an awkward angle. Mario, on the other hand was just resting on the bed, his hat tipped over his face in peace. Shelly walked over and shook him until he woke up. "Hey Mario, I was just coming by to tell you guys that I'd like to permanently join your group. I think that doing more than just saving the other Duplighosts will be something that I would like to look back on, to know that I wasn't a coward when I had the opportunity."

At this point, Shelly had woken up, but Boone was still asleep, snoring louder than ever. Mario smiled and Duplissa, and nodded to tell her his answer.

"Oh, thanks! I'll just go tell my family, I'm sure they would understand."

"But," Shelly interjected. "Don't you want to be around with your family more? I mean, we just saved them, and you haven't seen them in so long."

"Yeah but, if the world is really threatened by what is going on, then I wouldn't really have much more time anyways. It would be better to save the world and have all the time possible than to just wait and let it be destroyed. So I'm coming because I know I'll be needed, I can just feel it."

"Well then," said Shelly, putting out her hand. "Welcome to the team, er, permanently then, I suppose." Duplissa shook it, and with that they began to make their way out of the hotel. Mario was checking them out with the Toad when Duplissa noticed that Boone was still back in the room sleeping.

"Don't worry; I'll take care of that. You guys go on ahead." Shelly said, waving them off. Even with the light tone to her voice, they could see her smile start to contort in a sadistic way. Duplissa looked nervously at Mario, but he didn't seem worried. They both left the hotel, and made their way out of the city, heading back toward Koopolis. They had reached the summit of the hill where Shelly had upgraded, and they still hadn't seen Shelly and Boone.

"I wonder where they are." Duplissa asked Mario. Mario was staring hard at the village when a resounding WHACK reached their ears from the village. Both saw a small shape fly out of the roof of the hotel, and fly in an arc through the sky. It quickly grew larger as the identity was soon evident.

Boone was hurtling straight for the hilltop, with Shelly hanging on to his shell, Boone's boomerang in one of her hands. She pulled back on him as they got closer to the ground, until they crashed into the ground, with Boone dazed and bruised on the ground, and Shelly standing on his shell. She held his boomerang menacingly, her eyes glaring in fury at Boone.

"I would suggest you get an alarm clock in that helmet of yours or else you be waking up the exact same every day!" she threatened. Quickly regaining her composure, she dropped the boomerang and waved at Mario and Duplissa, the latter of which who was gaping in alarm. "Oh hi guys! I guess I got the perfect trajectory for that one!"

"Is he going to be alright?" Duplissa pointed at Boone, who was now unconscious, but at least alive and surprisingly, without broken bones.

"Yeah, he'll be just fine," she said, and then promptly smacked Boone in the head, bringing him back to reality. "See? Told ya."

"You know, you shouldn't be doing that. In my age, I could die and-"

"Aw, be quiet. You've been in the outdoors all your life. You're supposed to have weathered anything nature can throw at you. So don't say that a little wake-up call was too much for you."

"That was anything but a mere wake-up call…" grumbled Boone. He picked himself up, and grabbing his boomerang said, "So I'm okay. Whatever. Let's just get back on our way, okay?" He turned to face Mario. "So you said we're going to go back to Koopolis for the moment? That's fine with me, I suppose. As long as we don't stay long, since I fear that police force is still out to get me."

Mario nodded his reply, and they all continued on their trek back to the city, unaware of what awaited them...

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Bright fluorescent lights turned on one by one in an enormous white room. A large object was in the center of the room, covered by a white canvas. Two figures entered from one end of the room, and began walking to the object. Or in one's case, floated.

"I presume that you have done you master well?" Dimentio asked his partner. The other said nothing, and continued walking. They reached the object, and Dimentio giddily grabbed an end of the canvas. "You wouldn't mind if I did the honors, would you Mr. L?" His partner made no reply, only letting a triumphant smirk play across his face.

Dimentio saw the reason behind this, and began to yank hard at the canvas. "Ah, and like spoiled rich girl's sweet sixteen, I see the fruits of your success and…WHAT IS THIS?!" The smirk from Mr. L's face instantly vanished.

The canvas had fallen away, revealing Brobot L-Type. Not any form of upgrade whatsoever, just plain old Brobot L-Type. Dimentio smacked Mr. L., sending his form spinning in place. "NO! That is not what is expected of you, Mr. L! You do remember, of course, the failure that was this form of Brobot! I am very displeased with this. You will remain here until I see a substantial upgrade, but you are still allowed access to all necessary parts that will be used to complete it."

Mr. L grimaced, and then began to think for a moment. "Alright," he said. "That's fine. I did have another set of plans just in case."

"Really?" said Dimentio, his eyes twinkling in interest. "Well, let me see them!"

Mr. L smiled and pulled a schematic from his back pocket. "Dun-duh-duh-duh! I present to you the designs for: Brobot-Lamda!"

An awkward silence followed, with Dimentio's face clearly not amused. Sure, the design was an impressive looking mech, but it would not do for him. "No. Just no. No more Brobots. You hear me? Get a new idea! In fact, I have just the idea to help you get such an idea!" Dimentio snapped his fingers, and a teleportation block appeared, and disappeared, leaving Bowser Jr. in the space.

"Papa said that I was going to get paid if I ever did have to do this…" Bowser Jr. grumbled, and then he turned to Mr. L.

"Yes, so here is your new partner Mr. L! I'm sure the both of you can come up with something. And if not, Dimension D is always looking for new occupants!"

Mr. L and Bowser Jr. froze in terror of the thought, and immediately set to work disassembling Brobot. Dimentio smiled as he watched them. "I'll just leave you both to your work. Ciao!"

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**Oh, cliffhanger (Sorta)! I enjoyed writing this chapter, can't wait to get started on the next. But, you probably won't see Mr. L, Dimentio, and Bowser Jr. for quite some time. More for some than others. Just wait till you see what I got for next chapter! I'll give you a hint: W----a. Oh, I'm going to really going to have fun with that. Look forward to it, it's coming next weekend.  
Thanks again to Starrgrl24 for letting me use her versions of the Toadies!**


	15. Chapter 14

**Alright, next chapter here! A bit of filler to set the stage, but things should be getting interesting. I have nothing more to really say, other than to say seeya! Back to playing Platinum. Late at night. Man, I LOVE this four day weekend.**

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Chapter 14: Issues Inside (and Out) Koopolis

Mario and his three partners Shelly, Boone, and Duplissa were currently making their way through the forest on the way back to Koopolis. They intended to take a short rest their before continuing on their way to find the third Mega Star, the whereabouts of which was unknown. Before long, they reached a fork in the pathway, but were unsure of which way to take.

"Hey, I don't think that this fork was here before," Shelly said, scratching the back of her head in confusion. "Yeah, in fact I'm sure of it. There was only one pathway before. Just one, not two. Which way do you think we should go?"

Boone grinned, then walked forward and dropped to the ground at the fork. He began rolling like a dog in the dirt path, taking in whiffs of the dust he was kicking up.

Shelly looked on in amusement. Duplissa turned to ask Mario what was wrong, but he just shook his head. Shelly said that Boone had "blown a gasket after his crash landing." Boone stood up after hearing that, looking offended.

"Well excuuuuuse me. I was just using my wilderness survival instincts to figure out the correct path to go. And it just so happens to be that way!" he pointed off to the left pathway. "Come on, I'll lead the way." he said, making sure his boomerang was securely slung over his back, and then began a steady march down the way.

"Better we follow him," Shelly sighed. "I personally find his instincts mere bologna, but we'll see soon enough." Mario nodded, and began to walk off to Boone, Shelly following closely by. Duplissa stood rooted to where she was for a moment, confused by what had just transpired. She shook it off, and ran up to catch them shouting, "Hey, wait for me!"

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Hours had passed, and from what they could tell, it was probably midday. Not like it really mattered, since it was dim 24/7. Boone was still holding the lead, continuing on his march. By now though, he had begun singing nonsensical tunes.

"OH! A Goomba under the rock! A Koopa in the tree! Pidgits in the clouds! Monty Moles in the ground!"

Shelly leaned over to Mario and Duplissa, shifting her eyes as she spoke. "Where do you think he learned those?"

Duplissa shrugged, and smiling slightly said, "Maybe his mother or someone taught it to him years ago? I mean, just an idea."

Shelly shook her head. "Yeah, I doubt that. Knowing him, he probably made it up. What else is one going to do when he spends his whole life living as a drifter in the woods?"

This continued for a time down the pathway, with Boone continuing to sing in a rather unpleasant tone. Shelly had taken to putting her hands over where her ears where, as did Mario. Duplissa on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying the songs. Several times she had begun to join in but Shelly's death glare immediately stopped her from doing such. So it continued, and thankfully, Boone stopped his singing within another hour. Shelly and Mario were relieved, and put their aching hands back to their sides.

Shelly sighed. "Well, at least he finally stopped-"

"OH I WISH!"

Shelly facepalmed herself. "Never mind. Just…never mind."

Mario just kept to himself the whole time, trying in vain to ignore the painful voice of Boone. The path opened up into a more open area, and they could see Koopolis only a few miles ahead. At least, they could have if they weren't all walking with their eyes shut in pain. Boone had reached screeching volumes, and the results weren't pretty.

He probably would have kept it going too; if that is, he hadn't run into something.

"AND A-Oof!" he exclaimed, tripping over a blue mound sticking out from the earth. It wriggled a bit, and began to move before a mole-like creature could be fully visible. He rubbed his back in pain, a large welt forming and popping off. Boone grabbed it hastily, and hid it away.

"Ow, that hurt!" said the mole. "But that can be forgiven, 'cause it was an accident. So hello! And just for good measure: Whack-a-dee, Whack-a-day! What a wonderful Whacka…HEY!" he shouted, suddenly seeing Mario. "Yeah, you! You're that mean guy who hit me…what? Thirty times? And all over the place, too! At Mt. Rugged and Keelhaul Key and Crag!"

Duplissa was horrified. She looked at Mario saying, "You hurt that poor Whacka all those times?" Mario shrugged, his face showing his uneasiness. Shelly snorted.

"Yeah, well those Whacka Bumps are mighty tasty, mind you. And they heal a whole lot, so Mario did it within good reason."

"But that still hurt!" whined the Whacka. "At least I was prepared for this! MOMMY! DADDY! IT'S THAT MEAN MUSTACHED GUY WHO HIT ME!"

The ground immediately started rumbling as if the Earth was about to split in two. From the ground, to enormous protrusions began to rise, before two large blue shapes broke the surface. They continued to rise up to a hundred feet before stopping, and turning around their hideous faces could be seen. The two giant Whackas were snarling, drool coming out in torrents. Their eyes were massive and red, with huge, deadly incisors glinting in the sunlight. Duplissa immediately morphed into a rock out of fear, while the other three merely look up in alarm. The young Whacka smiled smugly, before digging over and hugging both parents.

"Yeah, it was that mean man in the red cap! He hit me all those times before, and it really hurt!" he shouted, tears welling up in his eyes. His parents let out a pair deafening roars, causing Mario, Shelly, and Boone to cower together, shaking like mad. Shelly turned to the others. "So what do you think? Fight? Or flight?" Mario was about to answer, but Boone had already made the decision for them. He was sprinting as fast as his older body could take him, which was surprisingly quick.

Shelly blinked, and then quickly turned to Mario. "Well, there's our answer! Grab Duplissa and let's go!" Mario did so, quickly grabbing the only rock on the ground that was trembling. Before the Whacka family realized what had happened, all of Mario's team was a mile away, making a mad dash to Koopolis, only a few miles further.

Whacka's parents roared once more, and gave chase. Burrowing into the ground, they tunneled full speed towards the team, letting nothing stand in their way. Whacka looked around confusedly, before shouting "Hey wait for me!" and following after his parents.

There was only two miles left between Mario and co., and Koopolis, but the gap between them and the Whackas was closing fast. Boone was still further ahead, screaming his head off like a complete fool. Mario and Shelly were no different; both panic-stricken as they tried to run faster, and in Mario's case, keep hold of Duplissa.

Boone managed to get to the city first, but Mario and Shelly still had a mile left. The young Whack suddenly popped up beside Shelly, somehow keeping pace with them and staying ahead of his parents. He took the time to gloat to the two, saying, "Haha! My parents are gonna get you two! And then everyone will be happy!"

"We won't!" shouted Shelly, trying to run even faster. The parents were half a mile away and gaining. They only had a few hundred feet to go before they reached the city.

The Whacka continued. "Yeah, when they get you they will-OW!" he shouted as he stopped and fell back. Boone's boomerang had hit the Whacka, and kept on going out away from the city. Mario and Shelly finally got to the city, but didn't stop running. They turned, and Shelly screamed as the two parents rose up, about to crash through the buildings like a sandcastle. Moments before they did, a large box portal surrounded them and the young Whacka as well. Instantly, they disappeared, being teleported who-knows-where.

All three of them breathed a sigh of relief. Duplissa regained her normal form, and all of them laughed nervously. Shelly broke the silence.

"Well, good thing that's done and over with. And look! We got here much faster than we would have before. So everything did work out-"

"HOORAH FOR DIMENTIO!"

Shelly shut her mouth as that phrase began to echo all over the city. The television screens began to simultaneously show the Whackas being transported away, and Dimentio hovering far above the city as he warped them. The screens began to put this on a continuous loop, showing the scene over and over again to the crowds within Koopolis. Everyone began clapping out of respect, and some just out of fear.

Even from where they were, in the grimy outer sector of the city, the people were clapping, but extremely nervously at that. The police force could be seen in what seemed to be an unusually high concentration of them at the moment. They all were looking around at the citizens, as if they were just trying to catch them acting off. Yet they did not even bother with Mario or any of his partners. They were just left standing there as the applause gradually died down, and everyone got back to their normal business. The police also began to move around, getting back to their eternal patrols.

The excitement over, all four of them were left standing dumbfounded. The events that had transpired all of a sudden were just so random and unexpected for any of them.

"So wait a minute, back up here," started Shelly, motioning with her hands for everyone to listen to her. "What just happened here? We were chased by the rabid Whacka parents, which by the way I hope I never see something like them again. I'll admit, this Old Mushroom Kingdom is crazy. It's like nothing I have ever heard about. But this is getting out of hand now." As she spoke, a member of the police force stealthily walked over behind Boone. Making sure that he wasn't noticed, the officer quickly walked up, and grabbed Boone, cupping his hand over Boone's mouth to muffle him. The officer dragged him away, completely undetected by the others.

Even in Boone's absence, Shelly continued to speak, as unaware of Boone's kidnapping as Mario and Duplissa. "I don't like this city. Not one bit. But it seems to me that we'll have to hang around her until we get our energy back. And as soon as we're good, we leave. I don't want to be near this Dimentio guy anymore. What do you think Boone?" she asked, turning to where Boone was. "Oh. Boone is…GONE?! What the?"

"I thought he was still here. I'm sorry, I wasn't keeping a good eye out." Apologized Duplissa as she bowed her head in shame. Mario grabbed her shoulder to get her attention, and shook his head to let her know it was alright.

Shelly was beginning to lose control of herself at this point. "It may be alright to you, but hello! Boone has been kidnapped! Not good, we already lost Luigi in this crazy city; we don't need to lose anyone else!"

Mario just shook his head, and motioned for them to follow. Shelly stared in disbelief. "You're just going to do nothing?" Mario shook his head again. He walked over and spoke to Shelly, telling her what he thought. "Fine," she said. "We'll stay here for now and then head off for the next Mega Star. But we will come back for him. It isn't right to just leave him here. We have no idea what they may do, especially, since I have a feeling that creep Dimentio will get a hold of him.

Mario led the two girls through the city, but they stuck to the Rogueport-like area, preferring to stay somewhere where the police force was less dense. They found a decent hotel to stay in for the next few days, which thankfully was a bit cleaned up, and had kinder people working the place than what they had seen.

"Thank you!" said the Toadette at the check-in counter. "Your rooms are on the next floor, enjoy your stay!"

All three of them slowly walked up the stairs, exhausted from the day, especially running from the Whackas. Mario got a room to himself, and Shelly got a room shared with Duplissa. As sleep quickly fell over them, Mario's last thoughts before succumbing to the darkness where questions of what to do now. He had lost two people now, and he was not sure if he would ever see them again. Plus, with their help gone, would they even be able to finish finding the other Mega Stars and save the world?

* * *

**So how was that? I hope it wasn't too bad. Personally, I liked writing this chapter, especially the Whacka bit. I had that idea on the back of my head for a month now, I've just been waiting for the perfect time to use it. I'll get started on the next chapter immediately! Starting tomorrow :p**


	16. Chapter 15

**Sorry for the week hiatus. I had to deal with some unexpected final projects from school. But hey, those are done now, and I have three days of school left. After that, I'll be working on this story like crazy, hopefully churning chapters out every few days. I'll make it up to you guys, don't worry. And while I work on this, I got a new story idea that I'm itching to get started on. It's not Mario, but I want to get that going soon as well. But hey, enjoy this chapter. A little short, but I had to make do with what I could. Expect the new chapter soon enough!**

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Chapter 15: Grave Encounter & Setting Off

The night went by fitfully for all three of them. And that's not just because they heard pirates downstairs shouting their "Yo-ho-ho's" in the main bar area. Maybe a little. Besides that, none of them could shake the loss of Boone from their heads. Therefore, sleep didn't come all that easy.

Day came far too soon, and all three woke grumpily to the glare of the sunlight. Mario and Duplissa wearily exchanged "hellos" when they came out. Much to their surprise, Shelly had woken before them both, already downstairs in the bar, but back in a corner, avoiding the pirates who were all sprawled across the tables, floors, and the bar itself. "Hey guys…" she said, sounding out of touch with the rest of the world. They joined her as some of the pirates began to wake, some in fact still suffering from the results of their little party. A certain goonie captain also began to wake back up at that point.

"Oh my head," said Graves. "That's the last time I…hey, where's all the rum? Oh! Pirate dialogue, duh! I mean…Yo-ho-ho! Where be me rum, mateys?!" This was met with a mix of unintelligible groans and mutterings. "Eh, whatever. Ye can be moping on the floorboards for all I care."

"Who's that guy?" Shelly asked, pointing at the unshaven mess that was Cpt. Graves. Shelly shrugged indifferently, her eyes halfway open. "That's just Captain Graves or whatever. What a character he is, just some random pirate that Luigi knew. He helped get us out here." Mario waved to Graves as she said this.

At this point, Graves was yelling at his crew about how lazy they were, and that they would never amount to anything more than deckswabbers. It took him a few minutes to see that he was going to get no reply or action from his crew, as most were either too lazy to get up, or just out stone cold from the previous night. Grumbling, Graves took a seat at a bar stool, and attempted to get more rum.

"Yeah, sorry," said the Toad bartender. "You all drank what we had last night. We're fresh out until…next month." He said while checking a small notepad he had. Graves' mouth dropped upon hearing this. "WHAT?! Ye can't be…eh, whatever. I'm done here." He said, hopping off the stool. He was beginning to make his way out and over his crew until he spotted Mario in the corner. He grinned, and walked over to him, his peg leg causing an imbalance in his walking. He hopped up in a chair next to the group and made himself comfortable.

"So how be life for ye? My crew and I have been busy relaxing, and sometimes looking for Luigi. Unfortunately, that venture has been…unsuccessful. Luigi is just nowhere to be found. I'm sorry. But we will keep looking!"

At this point, Shelly spoke up to interrupt him. "Yeah, well now you may be looking even harder. Boone's gone as well."

"The ol' landlubber?"

"Yep, the same. He got himself caught or something just as we came back into town. After being chased by monstrous Whackas."

"Not the best way to end the day then, I suppose?"

"Not in the least."

Graves leaned his head on a hand in thought. "This city really is quite strange. Two of ye friends have been lost in this place, and who knows where they may be. How about this, you all, get out of this city now. My crew and I will keep looking, for both of them. Whatever seems to be going on targets Mario, and since I'm not truly affiliated with ye, I can presume my crew and I can be safe. But yes, get out of here as soon as you can. In fact, as soon as we are done here. Best to save the world quicker, and get that Star back. This darkness is truly getting to be annoying for me."

Mario nodded in reply, and pulled the Star Navigator out for the moment to see where to next. The holo map popped up, and the previous Star was shown faded. The map zoomed out, and a Star appeared in the north. A snowcapped volcano appeared with it, and below that came a small set of houses. Shelly poked her head over Mario's shoulder and looked at the map for herself. "Weird, looks like a ways away. And a volcano, huh? That'll be a nice change of scenery, don't you guys think?"

Graves looked contentedly at the map. "I believe ye shall all be fine getting up there. And in my travels, I have heard of that place. The little town there is some knockoff of Poshley Heights, called Bullet Estates. It's rich atmosphere is completed with a railway. That railway is the only way to get up there. Fortunately, it's free. Apparently the rich folk up there are quite generous. Wonder if they would be generous enough to give this raggedy crew a nice, ahem, fund boost."

"Keep dreaming." muttered Shelly.

"Eh, I know. A pirate can dream of the riches he could plunder. Actually, when you get back, tell me how the security is thar. I want to know in case my crew could take an easy plundering of that place."

Duplissa gave a light chuckle upon hearing this, prompting the others to join in. This caused some of the crew members to wake up startled, such as a Raven cawing his head off the moment he awoke. Duplissa began to laugh even more at this, but Shelly merely sighed. "Guess we better take our leave. For all we know, the police force here could have some ban on laughing."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

An hour later, after getting wrong directions from Graves (Three times in a row, mind you), and they finally found the train. "'Banzai Rail'? What in the Mushroom Kingdom is that?" blurted Shelly, who struggled to contain herself at the odd name.

Duplissa pointed off to the front of the train, which looked, obviously, like a Banzai Bill. "Maybe…that's why?" Shelly giggled a bit. "Still, why would someone make a train look like something that destructive?"

"Because, this train is MY pride and glory. It is the FASTEST train in all of history. WHY is it designed like such? Because, it is my TRAIN!" yelled a Bullet Bill that had suddenly flown in next to the group, strangely remaining in a floating position. Another odd part of the Bullet Bill was that he was dressed…fancily. A monocle on one eye, a top hat, an outrageous curling moustache, and to top the whole image, he carried a cane in one hand, which at the moment he busied himself by twirling it around.

"But…you're a Bullet Bill. Aren't you guys supposed to…you know, fly, crash, and blow up?" asked Shelly. The Bullet Bill heartily laughed at this question. "Don't you KNOW anything? I am WILLIAM Bullet. The richest Bullet Bill in the world, and in fact the richest guy in all the WORLD."

All three had, at this point, covered their ears from the outbursts of William. Shelly looked extremely irritated by his way of words. "Okay, so that answers something. Now tell me this: why are you so loud?"

"WHAT?"

"Train whistle must've blown his hearing or something. I'm surprised he can actually still hear us."

William Bullet looked clearly offended by Shelly's remark. "Well MIND you, but I love these trains. My grandpappy has been building these practically since he was LAUNCHED, and he was a mighty Banzai Bill, might I say. THAT'S why this here train is like the way it is. My tribute to HIM. Now, I KNOW you all weren't here just to dilly-dally. My guess, and NO doubt I'm right, is that you're all here to ride my train. And that's A-OK. I PAY for this here train with all the money I got, keeping it operating for as long as I may blast. So you all can JUST go right on ahead and get a spot on board. WE'LL be leaving in an hour or so, so go ahead and make yourselves comfortable. Maybe I'll SEE you on board."

Duplissa was wide-eyed throughout William's entire speech, clearly engrossed with what he had to say. "Thank you…" was all she had to say to the Bullet, for she was too star-struck to really say much else.

Shelly laughed at Duplissa's admiration of the Bullet. "Yet another hapless victim to the hypnotic power of celebrity. Oh well, I'm sure she'll get over it soon enough." she said as she and Mario made their way on board the train. William had already flown off to the front of the train, where he donned a train engineer's cap, and began to pull the whistle excitedly. Shelly clamped her hands over her ears again in annoyance. "Yep, he definitely blew his ears out years ago." Duplissa joined them several minutes later after she finally broke out of her daze. "A real celebrity…wow…" was all she said as she sat down with Mario and Shelly in their train cabin. Shelly facepalmed herself.

"Oh boy, have you been paying attention at all to who you are travelling with? Mario! For crying out loud, you are helping Mario to save the world! Mario is more a celebrity than this guy will ever be!"

Duplissa shook her head, her eyes beady in perpetual admiration. "But Mario isn't rich like this guy."

"But he has the Princess! Think of the cash she must have!"

"But…that's not the same." Shelly facepalmed herself again. She left the conversation at that, letting Duplissa remain in her Nirvana-like state of admiration. She just grumbled and pulled out a random magazine in the room and began to read to take her mind off of everything. Mario just sat their chuckling to himself at the scene that had just unfolded. The silence in the room remained for another half-hour before the intercoms came to life with William's yells of "All ABOARD!"

Immediately after that, the train came to life, slowly picking up speed as it left the station, but quickly blasting down the tracks at unimaginable speeds. And down the rails the train went, off to Bullet Estates, and the volcano where the third Star lay guarded…

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**So how did that turn out? William B. He'll turn out an interesting character, no? Eh, if you don't like him, oh well. GET USED TO HIM. He'll be here for a bit...**

**Anyways, hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I shouldn't really have homework these last few days, so more time for Cross Country training, drawing, gaming, and of course, writing this story! See you all in a few days! Ja ne!**


	17. Chapter 16

**New chapter, woohoo! Sorry, its just a bit of a filler thing to move things along (Just a little bit!) Hope you all will forgive me if its not as great as usual. But please do enjoy, I'll get started on the next chapter in the meantime!**

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Chapter 16: Sherlock Pennington and William

The train hurtled down the tracks, the surrounding landscape quickly losing the lush forest that had been so familiar near the city. A prairie soon began, extending for miles around. Shelly stared out the window of their little car in awe, absorbing the scene. For a moment, a little blue Whacka popped out of the ground and somehow kept to speed with the train. He looked directly at Shelly and shook his fist. Two large surges formed from the earth as well, and Shelly looked away in fear. She looked again, only to see nothing more.

That whole time, neither Mario nor Duplissa really noticed her nervousness. In fact, Duplissa wasn't even on in the cabin anymore. "Must've gone to grab something to eat or something," Shelly had said. Mario was distracted by the ruckus coming from outside their cabin, which had been increasingly picking up its volume. Moments later, the door slid open, and there hovered William Bullet, all the same in his stereotypical richness, except for that he had a train conductor's hat on at the moment.

"TICKETS!" he shouted, causing both Shelly and Mario to wince in surprise and annoyance. Shelly proceeded to give him a puzzled look, and William merely laughed it off. "HA, I was just kidding both of you. Remember, this whole train ride is FREE. Everything is absolutely free, UNLESS I lost it all at the casino. But thankfully, I don't have that kind of a PROBLEM. At least…not anymore." He proceeded to remove the hat.

Mario had relaxed after hearing this. He had truly panicked a bit when William called for tickets, mainly since he was a bit lacking on the coins recently. The Koopolis motel had caused quite a crunch on his stash. Then again, Graves had sold his services to them for 10 coins a minute. He'd have to get him back for that.

William continued talking to the two. "Well, I TOLD you both I would probably talk again, and looky here! I AM!" Shelly smiled, although her eye twitched every time William would shout. "Anyways, I came to TALK to the lot of you. Normally I don't SEE people like you coming out this way. Usually the MORE upper class. So what's YOUR story, huh? I'd BE interested in hearing about it."

So Mario began the long tale of how Bowser kidnapped Peach, again, and how he also stole the seven Mega Stars, plus their connection to what was happening to the world. He went in depth of their ventures at regaining the first two stars, and the loss of his brother Luigi and of Boone. William listened attentively, sometimes stroking his ridiculous moustache as he thought over what Mario was saying. Soon enough, Mario finished, and William closed his eyes for a moment. He opened them, cleared his throat, and said, "So, that's why the sky has become all crazy like it is? Strange, I would have never thought such could or would ever happen. And it's all because of THIS Bowser goon you say? Well, I'd like to get up to him so I could TEACH him a good lesson. BUT, keeping my estates and my train running are of utmost importance. If I were to LEAVE them, who knows what would happen?" Mario nodded his head in understanding. William grinned and put his conductor hat back on his head. "Well, I BEST be off now. Got to check IN on the other passengers, and then head by to driving the train."

Shelly froze when she heard this. "Wait," she started. "You of course drive this thing. And at current, you're going around to see every passenger and leave the entire train unattended. Are you out of your mind?! We could die! What if something was in the way, or we derailed suddenly because of your lack of common sense?!" This immediately removed the smile from William's face. "Oh…I NEVER thought of that before…I should uh, probably check that out then."

In a blink of an eye, William, blasted off to get back to controlling the train. Doing so, he busted a rather large hole in a window in Mario's cabin. "It's a good thing he's rich." Mumbled Shelly upon seeing him leave. "We should probably go find Duplissa. She's been gone for a bit." Mario nodded and they both left the cabin in search of the missing Duplighost.

Their search lasted a while, as they travelled to the back end to the train all the way to the front, and came up with nothing. Finally, they reached the front, to the main control cockpit of the train where they found William floating there.

"Hey William, you wouldn't have happened to see…what the?" She asked, startled. Mario froze in his tracks, his eyes widening. They had perfect reason to act as such, since there were currently two William Bullets occupying the room. One was controlling the train; the other was hovering next to the driver, chatting. Shelly and Mario stood there motionless until the William that was speaking noticed them standing there. "Oh, HELLO!" he shouted. "I was JUST talking to my apparent clone here. Seems he's quite capable of running the train HIMSELF."

"But, why do you have a clone in the first place?" asked Shelly. "Aren't you even wondering why in the world there just happens to be a copy of you, right there?!" William squinted, adjusting his monocle to get a better look at his clone. "Well, I SUPPOSE you're right. But then again, I never DID notice a clone of me before. IT'S astounding!"

Shelly, leaned over and whispered to Mario. "You don't think that's Duplissa, do you?" Mario shook his. Shelly thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right. Why would she be even doing that in the first place? Then who is this guy?"

While they had been talking, William had flown over to an intercom control console and picked up the microphone unit. "Would someone PLEASE inform that Bumbty sleuth that he is needed in the front of the train. Thank you." He said, placing the unit back onto the main console. Minutes later, a Bumbty stumbled into the room wearing a red bowtie and a strange plaid-patterned hat. In his hand he held a magnifying glass, which he held up in front of him to look at everyone after he regained his composure.

"At once, I arrive!" he exclaimed. "The great detective Pennington has come for what he has been beckoned for!" Mario dropped to the floor in embarrassment and shock. He had never thought he would see the penguin again. Pennington saw Mario, and waved a hello. "Well, if it isn't my old apprentice Luigi, er, no, Mario right? Sorry, I need to remember that more than I have been." He turned towards William. "Ah, yes Mr. Bullet? How may my sleuthing services be of use to you?"

William scratched the back of his head. "Well, take a LOOKIE here. I have a clone NOW. Never did before, but DO now. Have YOU any idea on this?" Pennington walked up to the two Williams. He looked intently at both through his magnifying glass. "Hmm…Well, from what I can tell, this detective has come up with…nothing." Shelly facepalmed herself in irritation. Pennington saw her annoyance and quickly added to what he had said. "Er, however, I will begin research on the train to find any clues that may lead to the discovery of the identity of the clone. I am off at once!" he said as he dashed out the door and down the train.

"We should probably help," suggested Shelly. "After all, I'm not entirely sure this guy knows what he's doing." Mario nodded in agreement. He knew all too well of how good a detective Pennington really was.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

An hour passed, and the pair had managed to search their way through the train and interrogated the passengers for any information. Unfortunately, most were celebrities that refused to speak at all, greatly irritating Shelly.

"Grr, if I have to put up with any more of these people I will explode!" Mario distanced himself slightly in fear of the Shy Gal. She sighed. "It's okay Mario, I was just kidding. But you know what I mean here. They're all egotistical! It drives me insane, just like the Toy Box did!" Shelly's rants continued for a moment as they walked down a hallway of one train cabin. A Koopa popped his head out from a door and yelled at her, throwing a shoe at her in an attempt to quiet her. Shelly avoided it, and stopped talking. She glared at the Koopa who quickly retreated back into his cabin.

Shelly closed her eyes and smiled in triumph. "Now as I was saying…"

"Ah, Lui-,er, Mario! And Shelly! You must come quickly to the front of the train with me!" Pennington giddily shouted. "I have solved this mystery quickly and proficiently, and you must be there to see it!" Shelly and Mario shrugged, and quickly followed after the penguin sleuth. They all met up in the front where William and Pennington were waiting. The other "William" was still driving the train, humming a tune to himself as he did so. Pennington shut the door behind Mario and Shelly, and cheered for himself at his triumph. "Now, you all must be here to witness my proof. For I have discovered the identity of this doppelganger!" William looked truly excited at this news. "WELL? Who IS my clone?"

Pennington laughed. "Why, the culprit is none other than this man!" As he said that, he opened the door and pulled in a white sheet. A white sheet that protested in yells and punches. One that wore a blue party hat.

"HEY SLICK! Let me go right now or you'll be sorry! I got to be practicing my lines for my performance in Bullet Estates! I'll have my lawyer on you like that if you don't let me be this instant, Slick!"

Mario sweatdropped when he saw Pennington drag Doopliss in. He wondered how Pennington kept his grip on the Duplighost despite this thrashing. Soon enough, Doopliss tired out and just sat there pouting. Pennington coughed, and then began to talk. "So here is the culprit. It was none other than Doopliss! He has been impersonating William Bullet the whole time!" William gasped upon hearing this, but Doopliss just chuckled.

"Really now? Hey, Sherlock, you got your facts down right? Because I'm quite sure your little copy is STILL HERE. How does that work, huh? I don't have magic or any of that crazy hocus-pocus! Maybe those Shadow Siren creeps, but not me!" Pennington looked downtrodden. "Oh…ahem, well that changes everything. Uh, you can leave, I suppose." Doopliss grinned. "Hey thanks, finally. No to get back to working," he said as he began walking, shoving Mario out of his way. "Hey, outta my way, Slick. I got work to do, making money off of being you! Now is that an accomplishment or what?!" he laughed as he left back to his cabin.

At this point, the William clone began to laugh a girly, high-pitched laugh. "He" let go of the controls and continued to laugh, until "his" form disappeared in a puff of smoke. In the place of the William clone was none other than Duplissa, her form still laughing as everyone stared at her. Shelly leaned to Mario saying, "Figures, she wanted to play a game with us. And the rich guy."

William tugged at his curly moustache. "Well I'LL be. Looks as if your FRIEND has been up here this whole time playing a trick on us. And I'll admit that it was a MIGHTY fine one at that. Even had ME fooled."

Pennington shook the bewilderment from his face. "Uh, yes, just as I suspected. You see…Doopliss was merely my evidence! He was an example of who we were looking for, you know? Same species and everything! You see Mario, my apprentice; this is how a real detective does his work. He always attempts every method, and if the proven methods don't work, then he goes for the unconventional ones." Mario shook his head. Pennington just shrugged it off, and collected his things before heading back to his cabin.

At this point, Duplissa stopped her laughing, and after saying some apologies to William and Pennington, made her way back to the cabin. William regained control of the train, and took a good look at their location. "Well I'll BE! Looks as if we're just about THERE! You all may want to head on BACK to your cabins, since we'll be stopping in only a few minutes. I'll just go ahead AND alert the other passengers while you both go on back. See you both LATER, and good luck with that Star hunting!"

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**Yeah, this was more fanservice stuff than anything else. Doopliss and Pennington. Two of the more enjoyable characters in TTYD.**

**...**

**Scratch that last thought. Every character in that game was great. I may be adding more cameos later, I enjoy doing them. (Hehe, Crump (AKA Dr. Robotnik) would be funny. 'Buh! Buh! Buh! Buh! Buh! Buh!') Anyways, like I said, I'll get started on the next chapter immediately. Man I love summer, no homework (er, well, still have that AP Lang. Summer Reading/Comparison essay I'll need to take care of...) so I can work on these every night. See you guys later!**


	18. Chapter 17

**Quick update here! Yeah, this is a lot shorter than what I would usually churn out, sorry. I'll attempt to get another out by Monday at the latest. Then that'll be it for practically two weeks. I'll be gone starting next Tuesday for vacation, and there's no Internet at the house my family is renting for that time, so I just try to plan the chapter while I'm gone or something. Nah, I'll forget and be enjoying the vacation while it lasts. But I have to ride a plane all the way to New York, changing flights twice. Not cool.**

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Chapter 17: Speed Bullet Team-up

It was not long at all after the previous events that the train reached its destination. It seemed to have a flaw in its stopping, though. Instead of gradually slowing, the train automatically froze in place at the station. This caused everyone inside to be painfully thrown from wherever they were to the walls. All except for William, who merely chuckled as he remained in the same position.

After the passengers collected themselves, which proved to be quite literal for some, they began to leave the train, some rather hurriedly. Shelly happened to be one of the quicker ones, dragging Mario and Duplissa behind her. "Crazy Bullet Bill," she grumbled as she gritted her teeth. "He really needs to learn how to drive a train correctly. Or at least put a good brake in that thing."

Shelly stepped off of the train, still dragging Mario and Duplissa, neither of which were really putting up much of a fight. After getting off, Shelly let them get up and move on their own. All three headed into the town, and were shocked by what they saw. The houses were all small, but their sizes were nothing compared to the majestic construction of each. Every house seemed to be of a different design stemming from a random culture, modern or ancient. The group merely stood there awestruck, ignoring the angry looks they received from passing residents who found them to be in the way.

Mario and Duplissa shortly snapped out of it, and were about to head off to explore around Bullet Estates more. They stopped as they realized that they did not have Shelly with them. Turning around, they saw Shelly still serenely entranced by the buildings around them. Mario waved his hand in front of her face a few times before she blinked and took notice of the world around her. "Sorry…" she said. "But really, I can't help it! Don't you see how true to form these are to their ancient counterparts? It's simply amazing." She eventually calmed down some, enough so that they could go about and explore the area for themselves.

Entering several houses, they found some to be empty, and some to have various famous persons within. One such happened to be a small cottage owned by Doopliss, who promptly chased them out in fury. They found a large, upscale Toad Hotel and rented two rooms for the coming night. They still had a few hours to go before that time came, so they continued to explore around. The most prominent thing of the town seemed to be the massive volcano bordering the very edge of the town.

It towered above everything else for miles around, reaching up into the clouds. Snow and glacier seemed to dominate the upper half of it, while the bottom half was craggy black stone, all of which led up to a tall, narrow cone shape. As they continued their trek through town, they found signs for tours around the mountain, and then one or two of the inner lava tubes for the more adventurous. They happened to be looking at one when someone came up and grasped Mario and Shelly's shoulders, catching them by surprise.

William Bullet laughed as they both nearly jumped out of their skins, but quickly settled down after seeing the glares he was receiving from both of them. "Eh, SORRY about that you two. I truly couldn't RESIST." They calmed down after that, but Shelly still seemed a little irked by William's sudden appearance.

William sighed. "Listen, I would LIKE to ask you something Mario." Mario stared at him confused. He wondered what exactly William would want from him. "Eh, listen, I WAS thinking the past hour or so of what you had told me. Sounds like a big adventure that you are ALL embarking on, saving the world and what not. I mean, you've lost two people already, and it's just you and these TWO little ladies." Duplissa giggled. "And you're looking for these crazy MEGA Stars that are scattered all over the Old Mushroom Kingdom, with that Bowser fellow trying to take you down. That's something I'LL tell ya. Now to get to MY point. I wanted to join YOU. This old Bullet needs more excitement in his LIFE, because I've been just raised rich. I stayed that way all my life, never doing much more than what was TRULY necessary to carry on. Now, that's not to say that I haven't changed WITH my beloved train. So I want to truly change myself. I want to see this grand WORLD before I run out of fuel. THEREFORE…I would be thankful beyond all reason if you would accept me into joining on your adventure."

Mario began nodding to himself as he thought. He was not totally sure that William would be the greatest partner in the journey, especially due to his age. But now that he thought of it, that hadn't been a problem before. And William seemed to really want to help in some way; the determination upon his face was fierce, while still holding the gentle, humorous expression he seemed to always have. Mario looked to Shelly and Duplissa for approval. Shelly merely shrugged indifferently. Duplissa on the other hand wore a disturbingly large smile while nodding her head rapidly to relay her answer. Mario smiled and looked back to William, who seemed to be busying himself at the moment with twirling his cane around once again.

"SO, did you come to an answer?" he asked, a hint of fear in his voice. Mario simply nodded his head, and told him that he was free to join the team. William shouted in joy, throwing his cane in the air. Unfortunately, it flew off and shattered a window in Doopliss' small cottage, earning shouts of despair and anger from inside. William cringed, and quickly motioned for them all to rush into the Toad Hotel for the moment. Once safely inside, William quickly thanked Mario and the other two for their kindness in letting him join. "I promise you, I will not FAIL. That is my WORD."

**Congratulations! The loud-mouthed Bullet Bill, William, has joined your team! Him being a Bullet Bill, he can tap into his explosive capabilities to destroy holes in weakened sections of wall and rock. He can also use his abilities to attack all enemies at once.**

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_Meanwhile, in a secret white room hidden underground…_

"Ah-ha! This is going to be the best 'bot I've ever created!" shouted one figure in glee as he inspected the massive framework of an imposing mech in the middle of the room.

"That 'you' have created? Whatever happened to me? I came up with the designs, which you can agree were better than the lame-o Bro-Bots!" countered another, shorter figure. His counterpart waved him off.

"Yeah, whatever. You know that my Bro-Bots were the best things ever. They almost beat that annoying pest Mario, too!" shouted the first figure, now seen to be Mr. L.

"Uh-huh, you bet. I only said that just so you would be quiet about the love and care you put into creating those scrape heaps. My robot was even better than that, and you know it. Plus, look at it his way; I get an equal chance now. You got two robots, so now I can design two giant robots." said the second figure, revealed to be Bowser Jr.

Mr. L nodded in agreement. "Yeah, yeah, you get your shot. But if this fails, we go back to my ideas. But we'll finish this, and see how it does against Mario and his little friends. I say we could take him out when this sucker is done. How about you?"

"You bet!" yelled Bowser Jr. in concurrence. "Papa is going to be so proud of what I've done, I can't wait to show him when we finish!" Mr. L nodded. "That's going to be a while though. Look at this thing: it's only the metal support frame! We still have all sorts of stuff to add to make it invincible, and then make sure it works. That'll take who knows how long!"

"Yeah, I know. So let's get it done. I don't think Papa wants to wait long, especially since we are supposed to be guarding one of those Stars he stole a while back. And when we're done, we can see the Sun again!"

"Alright! Let's get this done then and stop yapping!"

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**Hope you all enjoyed that quick update. Next we'll really start the hunt for the third Mega Star. Sorry, I have to build up to it, you know? And I'm busy too. Cross Country first thing in the morning for two hours, getting home at eleven, and then not being able to use the computer until practically eight at night. Ugh. But I'll try to make do with that, and hopefully you will all see the next chapter before I leave. See ya!**


	19. Chapter 18

**And this story is now officially on hiatus. How long you ask? Eh, give or take about two and a half weeks. I'll definitely be out on vacation for 2 weeks, then the half will be me writing up the next chapter.**

**I really don't know how I feel on how this chapter. I liked writing it, but it felt...meh to me. I don't know, I just want to get to the fight for the 3rd Mega Star. But hey, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Last one for a while, sorry. Have a happy (early!) 4th of July!**

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Chapter 18: Bullet Estates' Eruptive Neighbor

Mario, Shelly, and Duplissa spent the night in their rented rooms at the upscale Toad Hotel in Bullet Estates. Their new teammate, William Bullet, had promptly celebrated hours earlier when he was accepted to help in their quest. He was about ready to throw a party in his name for it, but Mario and Shelly convinced him otherwise. William had then gone to his 'humble mansion', as he had put it. Glad to end the excitement of the day, Mario, Shelly, and Duplissa had then left to the Toad Hotel.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

The following day, they each awoke on their own, completely refreshed and ready to get going on the adventure. Shelly had even relaxed herself some. Her peace didn't last.

"Well, GOOD morning to all of you!" shouted William excitedly. He had been standing right outside of the hotel waiting for the three of them to make their leave. All three flinched as he spoke, although Duplissa didn't as much as the other two. Shelly walked over to him and whacked him in the head, causing him to clutch it in pain. "What was that for? Can't I be excited about helping out?"

Shelly sighed, shaking her head. "Your excitement? You're just flat-out hyper, and that's totally unnecessary! Pull yourself together, act mature, and take this seriously!" she screamed. William had slightly turned away, completely shutting his eyes in fear of the Shy Gal in front of him. She released her frustration, and mumbled a quick "sorry" to him. Mario just shifted his eyes between everyone, turning his head at everyone to take in the situation. Shrugging, he reminded everyone about their mission.

That got everyone's attention. Shelly turned her head down in shame, and William scratched his head, smiling sheepishly. They rapidly gave apologies to each other, and Mario nodded his approval. With that, they set off to the volcano.

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"Wow. I knew that the volcano looked big from back in town, but this…this is more than I can handle." Shelly stated as she looked directly up the mountain. The clouds concealed the top, and the darkness wasn't helping much with that either. "You sure that the Star is in here, Mario?" Mario pulled out the Navigator and pulled up the holo map. Sure enough, the Star symbol appeared on the massive volcano's location. Shelly sighed. "And I suppose that we have to get inside somehow. Now just how…" She began to look around the side of the volcano, trying to find a weak point somewhere. Eventually, she did. "Here we go. Now, I just need someone to throw. Just who should be it, ah, I know." She walked over and grabbed Mario, picking him up. She proceeded to throw him with all her might at the volcanic wall, causing him to painfully hit the rock and collapse. "Hmm, guess that doesn't work."

Mario weakly stood up with the help of Duplissa, and walked back to the others. William cracked his knuckles. "ALRIGHT, I think I deserve I try. I think I can GET this ol' wall broken down in a jiffy."

"Then let's see it." said Shelly skeptically. William unleashed a massive amount of energy as he blasted forward at the wall, exploding on contact. He reappeared moments later next to everyone, smiling at his work. "Now watch this." he said. The rock area began to fall apart rapidly, large chunks breaking down onto the ground, kicking up a ton of dust in the act. After the dust cleared out, they each saw a gaping hole in the side of the volcano. Wasting no time, they ran inside of the volcano, and were surprised by what they saw. Within was a huge room with a stairway leading up to the next floor of the volcano. The ceiling was dotted with stalactites, made of both rock and ice. The floor was a mess of solid rock, magma, and ice. It was obviously impossible to cross on the magma, but the ice and rock almost looked unstable. All four looked at it uneasily.

"Well, I don't think we really have much of a choice here," observed Shelly. "I don't know how much stress the floor here will take, so we best be careful, and probably hurry to the next floor. And who knows how many floors are in this place? From the looks of this, this place is going to be practically on hundred floors or something. But then again, the star may not be that high up. Oh well, enough talk. Let's just get going."

Mario led them through the first floor of the volcano, carefully taking each of his steps to make sure that the ground beneath him didn't give into the lava. Shelly and Duplissa followed his lead, while William leisurely floated over the lava, only slightly bothered by the heat radiating from it. A short time later they reached the stairs, and made their way up them to the next floor. Once again, it contained the same labyrinthine layout of lava, rock, and ice. Sighing they made their way across, only to be surprised halfway through by an Ember. Mario slammed his hammer down upon it, only for it to split into separate Embers. Before they had a chance to attack back, William launched himself at both, plowing through and defeating them.

Another Ember got into their way before they reached the stairs, but they made short work of it. Unsurprisingly, the next floor was the exact same as the first two, just an altered path. More Embers rose from the depths of the lava to fight, and each continued to fall. This went on for many more floors, although some Pirahna Plants, Chain Chomps, and Pyro Guys would show up to cause some more trouble for the group. After what seemed to be the fifteenth floor, Shelly collapsed on the ground in exhaustion, Duplissa following suit.

"I can't take much more of this. We have no idea how much more to the Star, we're all tired, me and Duplissa especially, and who knows what could be waiting for us with the Star. Knowing what Bowser has already given us, it's probably going to be something absolutely crazy. And I don't think I can handle it!" Mario nodded in understanding. He agreed with her, this was becoming a bit much. They had no healing items left with them, and the enemies seemed to be getting worse with every floor. There had to be a solution.

Duplissa picked up a pebble. "I give up. I'm tired, my feet are sore, and this place isn't getting any better!" she whined, tossing the stone at a wall in the room. Surprisingly, it left a large crack in the wall. The team watched as the crack quickly spread like shattering ice, eventually crumbling to the floor. Behind the fallen wall was a small room containing numerous items like Mushrooms and Shooting Stars. Strangely enough, there was also an elevator that led only upwards. Most surprisingly of all was a suspended box containing a glowing sphere.

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_Meanwhile, at Bowser's Castle…_

Kamek had been watching the scene unfold from his new crystal ball. "Drats! Kammy, I thought I told you to make sure that those fools couldn't get into my storage room!" he roared. Kammy had been standing next to him watching, and sniggered at his tantrum. "Well I hope you enjoy your happiness for now! Because you forgot that that elevator led STRAIGHT to the Star. They were supposed to be destroyed on the long way up!"

Kammy rolled her eyes. "You also forgot about the guardian of the Star, and spirit of that volcano. He should be able to take care of them." Kamek nodded begrudgingly. She was right, he acknowledged that much. 'But,' he thought. 'If they manage to somehow defeat him and get that Star, the blame will be totally on Kammy for this. Not me for once.'

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_Back in the volcano_

Mario and Shelly had encouraged Duplissa to go ahead and approach the block. They knew that it would allow Duplissa some new form of power to help in some way later on. William had in fact been eager at first to get it instead, but they held him back. Mario told him that since Duplissa had found it, she deserved to get it. To keep him busy, they had William gather up all

Duplissa grabbed the block, and let the energy surge through her. A voice rang through her head, detailing her new power. "**You are now able to create unique illusions, independent from yourself. They will be able to have form, and will be invaluable in battle. Use this wisely…"** She immediately told the others of this.

"Well congrats; I can imagine how that could be useful. Like right now!" shouted Shelly as she noticed that they were being prevented from leaving the room by multiple Embers and Pyro Guys surrounding them. "Crud," she said. "What now?" William pointed out the elevator behind them that remained unblocked. "Only ONE way to go everyone. UP!" They followed his direction, and quickly piled onto the platform that acted as the elevator. Mario jabbed a button with his finger, and they were sent rocketing up the interior of the volcano, barely avoiding the enemies. The force of the upwards movement caused each of them, even William, to be forced to the ground as it continued up to the snowcapped top of the volcano. It was there, that the Star awaited, and unbeknownst to them, the spirit of the volcano…

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**So how'd that turn out? Okay, I hope. But hey, next chapter comes the battle for the 3rd Star. That means that we have four Stars after that, and then the whole final chapter thing (I'm trying to follow routine Paper Mario game formula here). So, this story will probably end up at...practically fifty chapters. Jeez, that's crazy talk to me.**

**Gah, this vacation will be both boring and fun at the same time. I have to ride three connecting flights tomorrow (with my 13 year old brother, ugh) and for the record. I. HATE. PLANES. But once that's over, things should be fine. Tons of relatives out where I'm going, plus I get to go to a Six Flags park for one day (Meh, we should've gone to Sandusky, Ohio. I love Cedar Point). And the rest of the time will be either at my grandmother's house or in some rented cabin by a lake. So, that may be boring if it gets raining or too hot. At least I have books, sketchbooks, and my DS. And there better be trails to run/hike on. I need to condition for Cross Country!**


	20. Chapter 19

**Finally, the first update in quite a while? Miss me? Eh, I doubt it. Vacation wasn't anything special, although I would like to think of it almost like National Lampoon's Vacation or The Great Outdoors (Two great movies by the way). But enough of that, enjoy the new chapter everyone!**Chapter 19: SingeFrost, the Spirit of the Volcano

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The slab of ground continued to rocket up the interior of the volcano, pulling Mario and his partners up to their unknown destination. They could feel the heat rapidly decrease in moments as the air grew colder and the ice grew thicker. And before they knew it, the slab came to a complete halt in a small room, causing each of them to fly up and hit the ceiling before slowing floating back to the ground. Shelly shook off the pain and disorientation before taking a quick look around the room. "It looks as if we've reached our destination. There's a little doorway over on the other side of the room. Looks as if that's the only way to go."

Mario nodded his agreement, and proceeded to stand up, brushing off bits of dust and ice from his overalls. He put Duplissa and William away for the moment until they may be needed, which he feared may be sooner than he would like. He motioned for Shelly to follow his lead, and together they exited the small room, entering the main section of the volcano once more. This time, the area was noticeably different. The sky could be clearly seen, however the darkness provided minimal light to reach in. This was fixed from the glow of multiple trails of lava oozing their way in small lines all across the floor. Ice patches covered all over, allowing only minimal sections of bare rock to be exposed. The walls reached up in rock and ice, climbing at least a few hundred feet in a conical shape. At the end opposite to Mario and Shelly stood an altar made of pure ice, with a small torch hanging on its front burning a white flame. Shelly began to slowly approach it.

"That's so weird," she said. "White fire? Sure it can get white hot, but it being completely white and constantly in that state? I've never heard of such a thing. But one thing bothers me: where's the Star?"

"RIGHT. OVER. HERE." The lava rose up slightly from the cracks, causing an increase in heat. Shelly winced after hearing it. "That's not good."

Suddenly, the Mega Star appeared above the altar, slowly spinning over the glass-like ice. But as soon as it appeared, the flame from the torch grew, engulfing the Star until a massive fireball hovered over the altar. Two soulless black eyes and a circular, void-like mouth appeared in the fire. The fireball grinned, and then began to speak. "I am SingeFrost, the spirit and regulator of this volcano! It is also my duty to keep the Mega Star out of harm's way, as King Bowser has entrusted me to do so! HIYAH!"

Immediately after he spoke, ice shards fly across the room towards his main body. They attached to each other quickly to form two large geometric hands that floated in front of his fire body. "Crud," said Shelly as her eyes grew wide at the being in front of them. "Mario, this guy looks insane. I mean, where did that come from? The Star must be amplifying his power so that he is so massive and powerful. Maybe we should-"

"Trespassers, be gone and perish!" SingeFrost shouted, interrupting Shelly. He blasted a chilling wind towards Mario and Shelly with chunks of ice and snow interspersed throughout it. They had no time to react to the attack, and were dealt with direct heavy damage from it. Shelly's mask and Mario's hat froze in a layer of ice that they knocked off after pulling their act together. "Mario," Shelly began. "I'm not sure what to think of this guy. That attack seemed extremely powerful. Even I don't know what to do!" Mario thought for a second and told Shelly what he thought. "Really? We should still just go all out and attack this guy? But we don't even know what would work! But, if you're so sure, then we'll try it."

With that, Mario decided to make use of a Fire Flower he had picked up a while back. Pulling the item out, he let loose the devastating shots of fire orbs upon SingeFrost. The spirit cried out in pain as his ice hands were peppered by the shots, causing them to take on an appearance like that of Swiss cheese. But his cries of pain soon finished, instead replaced by laughter. More ice shards were pulled to the hands, but were minimally used to only seal the holes. "Ha, you both do not realize anything," SingeFrost laughed. "Fire and ice, two elements that have effects on only some of my body. Your pathetic Fire Flower for example. It melted my hands greatly, yes. But my main body was not damaged at all. I AM fire, and I AM ice. Go ahead, continue with that if you please, but it shall get you nowhere fast."

Shelly scratched her head in thought. "He's right. We'll need to try something else. Just what…ah-ha! Got it!" she exclaimed. Grinning mischievously, she picked up Mario, who immediately began flailing. With all her might, Shelly threw him at SingeFrost, resulting in Mario hitting the left hand. The hand developed a massive crack but still retained its overall shape. Mario took minimal damage from the throw, but quickly got off of the ground and ran back to his side with Shelly.

SingeFrost barely gave Mario any time to move. As Mario had begun to move, he gathered together a ball half made of ice and half of lava. It was launched at Mario where he had been moments before, smashing into the ground and spraying bits of material in all directions, causing further damage to Mario and Shelly.

This happened to be the last the Shy Gal could take. She collapsed to the ground as she lost consciousness, with bits of ice and rock dotting her mask. SingeFrost cackled in delight, receiving a glare from Mario in return. He swapped Shelly away, pulling William out to help.

"Ah, our POOR fallen comrade Shelly. I shall do her justice and ANNIHILATE this guy!" he yelled. Mario let him attack first, and the Bullet Bill began to charge up an attack. His rear thruster erupted in a burst of fire and he flew forward, slamming into SingeFrost's right hand. The impact completely shattered the hand, sending melting ice fragments all over.

The volcano spirit roared in pain and proceeded to try and recreate his hand. Unfortunately for him, the increased heat from the lava had caused most of the previous ice to have melted, leaving him with only a single hand. "Darn it! I suppose I shall have to destroy you both like this then. So be it." Mario gave him no time for retaliation, running forward with his hammer to perform power smash. After pulling back his hammer, he pulled it forward upon the fiery body of SingeFrost, further damaging him, but to a lesser extent.

Mario fell back to prepare for Singefrost's next attack. He didn't have to wait long, as the ghost pulled back his remaining hand and engulfed it in flames. He thrust it forward at William, who took the attack head on and was thrown back into the rock wall of the volcano. Mario ran to help him up, ignoring the sadistic laughter of SingeFrost.

William waved Mario off as he came by. "NO worries my boy. Sure, I'm a bit old for this stuff, but I'm a tough bullet, still holding STRONG like I was years ago!" Mario wasn't so sure, but took his word for it. Turning back to face SingeFrost, the readied themselves for their next attack.

Once more, William charged himself before rocketing through the other hand of the spirit. Just like the last one, it too shattered from the intense heat and power brought from the Bullet Bill's attack. "YEEHAW!" William shouted. "See Mario, I TOLD you that I'm still fresh and up for this kind of thing!" Mario nodded, smiling a bit despite the situation. Now it was his turn to attack. Seeing as the hands were now disposed, he had only to destroy the main body, or head, of SingeFrost and the third Star would be theirs.

Mario decided against using his hammer this time, instead resorting to whatever items he had left. Unfortunately, he was without healing items, so they all would have to pull through to the end of this, however long that might take. Looking through, he was relieved to see something that would probably be quite useful: a Shooting Star. He pulled it out and proceeded to use it.

SingeFrost was caught off guard as dozens of shooting stars fell through the top of the volcano, laying a decent amount of damage to him. 'No way shall I lose today to these invaders. King Bowser gave me his orders, straight from his mouth. Er, at least, I believe so. He did seem…different somehow. Like not the same. But forget that! He told us to protect this Star at all costs. We must prevail!'

"THAT'S IT!" he screamed, the intensity of his body growing immensely. "I said you shall not get this Star, and I mean it!" Now that he was out of ice with the volcano's temperature climbing, he resorted to using the power of the volcano itself, creating a massive lava plume directed at Mario and William. They managed to get out of the way of the worst of the attack, but still suffered extreme damage from it. Mario was beginning to get low on health, as was William.

"MARIO," William said to get his attention. "I'm done HERE. Do you HEAR me? Get Duplissa OUT here to finish the fight, I know she'll be able to do it." Mario nodded, and once more swapped partners, pulling Duplissa out for battle. "Don't worry…I'm sure I can do it Mario." She said, although more than a bit scared.

Taking advantage of her newly gained ability, Duplissa pulled out a crayon from her pocket **(AN: Yes, she has a pocket. I don't know where, just where a pocket would be!)** and began to crudely draw out an illusion in the air. It soon became took the shape of a fire hose that connected to a small water tank. "Yeah, I think I got this." She said with more confidence and a smirk on her face before unleashing a torrent of water on SingeFrost. The effect was immediate and devastating, causing huge damage on the fire spirit as he shrieked from the pain the water brought. His fire body even lost a large chunk of its original size, becoming no bigger than Mario.

"Grrr, I guess this is my last stand. Forgive me if I failed Lord Bowser! I tried my best! YAH!" SingeFrost yelled as he launched another ball of lava at Mario and Duplissa. It hit the ground and caused damage from the debris, bringing Mario to his last bit of health but only slightly harming Duplissa.

Knowing that the end of the battle was at last in reach, Mario pulled out his hammer once again. Running up to the weakened SingeFrost, he pulled back to charge another power smash. Bringing the hammer forward again, he struck down upon the small fire spirit, completely finishing him off.

"GAH! Lord Bowser, I have lost! The Star is the plumber's now!" SingeFrost yelled before having his body implode, sucking itself in and extinguishing itself. In his place, the Mega Star appeared, majestically spinning in place, waiting for Mario to take it back.

Duplissa walked up to Mario and smiled. "Thank goodness…We have the next Star. One more step along the way to saving the world," she said softly. "We better get the Star and hurry on out of here. Shelly and William are hurt badly, and it looks as if the volcano might blow soon!" Sure enough, the lava seemed to slowly be seeping out of the cracks from below and from some of the walls. "I don't think that taking that elevator and walking down is the best idea. I think our best escape will come if I make one!" Duplissa exclaimed, quickly pulling out another crayon. She walked up to one of the walls without lava oozing from it and drew a large doorway out of it. "No time for stairs I would think! Just run!"

As fast as they could, they both ran down the mountain slope towards Bullet Estates, which thankfully looked to be out of the way of the disaster. Instead, lava seemed to be flowing in a completely opposite direction, causing both Mario and Duplissa to breathe a sigh of relief when they arrived back in town.

**End of Chapter!**

* * *

**So, was it good for a first time back in two and a half weeks? I would have liked to have gotten it out yesterday, but it took me longer to get me back into writing than I would have liked. So, third star down, four to go. Jeez, we're practically halfway, and I want to get moving quicker here. Oh well, can't wait to write these next few chapters, HUGE plot developments coming up, just watch people. Really, I'm thinking this may turn out to more be a direct sequel to Super Paper Mario than anything else. Oh well, see ya!**


	21. Chapter 20

**Enjoy the longest chapter yet people! Plus I'll be out for another week after this, woo!**

Chapter 20: Recuperation and a Problem

_Within Dimension D…_

Dimentio was busy setting up a crystal ball, one which he had stolen personally from Merlee. "Foolish witch," he chuckled. "Like a mouse sneaking through the cupboards, I stole it right under her nose. But now, just how…do I…set it up?!" he said as he forcefully shook it, coming up with nothing but static. "No problem. I'm sure that this can easily be solved with a little bit of magic!" he said, snapping his fingers to cause an explosion right next to the crystal ball. Immediately, the static disappeared, and the strange being of shadows appeared, his form altering only slightly as he stood. The only unaffected part again was his head, still retaining the strange white mask.

"Silence Dimentio," he said coldly, his body distorting. "I have received news from that pathetic excuse of a Magikoopa that the third Mega Star has been retrieved. So, now your part of the mission has been put into place. Best be ready, if you wish to truly please me after that failure so long ago."

Dimentio winced upon hearing this. "Er, yes of course. Forgive me for that. You do remember though, I had nearly succeeded, only that my plan didn't work, even when it was _supposed_ to work."

The shadow shook his head. "It was supposed to, yet it failed. And look where that led!" he yelled, but quickly regained his composure. "However, thankfully there was me. And now the plan can continue to proceed, but only if you succeed. If not, I shall haunt you, even after your own death. Failure…that is unforgivable this time." Dimentio swallowed hard, but kept his face gleeful, although it was visibly nervous. "R-right. Well, I best be off then. No worries my friend, your victory is ensured, I have no doubts. Ciao!" he shouted before turning off the crystal ball. The shadow entity sighed from where he was. "That…is what you ensured last time, Dimentio," he mumbled to himself. "Make no mistake though; if you do fail…you can expect it to end."

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Morning had come in Bullet Estates, and it seemed most of the citizens had slept through the excitement of the previous night, missing the light show the volcano created. Mario and Duplissa had managed to bring in themselves, Shelly, and William to the hospital of the town. Which William owned, of course. They were treated immediately, but were all ordered to be kept in, especially Shelly, who remained unconscious.

Mario was in his hospital room, sitting on the bed with his legs dangling over the side. He sighed, rubbing his temples in irritation. This was beginning to get dangerous. He wasn't sure what would be thrown their way next, but if it was worse than SingeFrost, they could be sure to say goodbye. They still had four more Stars to get, and he had no idea where they were. If only-

"Hey Mario?"

Mario looked up, his thoughts interrupted. Duplissa was standing their halfway through the door. She seemed to have recovered fairly quickly and easily, like Mario did himself. A few bruises and whatnot, but nothing threatening. Truthfully, none of them really sustained life-threatening injuries, but they were dealt heavy damage.

"Yeah, Mario I wondering…have you put the Star in the Navigator yet? We still have no idea where the next one will be. Don't you think it'd be good to know where it is now so that we can plan where to go to get there? Especially since we may be here for another day or so with Shelly and William." Mario nodded. He had completely forgotten due to the excitement that had come over the past few hours.

Pulling the Star out, Mario let it hover in front of him, its shining color illuminating the room more than the lights could. Taking the Star Navigator from his pocket, Mario clipped off the small dome top to it and put the Star in. Fastening the dome back on, the map came to life, its holographic projection clearly showing their current location in Bullet Estates, right down to the very building they were in. In the blink of an eye, the map zoomed out, once more showing the full scale of the Old Mushroom Kingdom, its vastness intimidating both Mario and Duplissa as they stared at it. Suddenly, the fourth Star appeared on the map, slowly making its way to where it was being held. When it finally stopped, they could only stare at where it was…

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Boone was sleeping fitfully in his cell. He had been there for as long as he could tell, which didn't help much. The whole place had no natural lights, no clocks, no nothing. He was completely out of tune with nature in his cold, concrete cell. Generic metal bars at one end, and nothing in the room besides him. He woke with a start, looking wildly around. "Oh, right," he said glumly, further slumping to the ground. "Still stuck in this crazy place with no hope of rescue. Goody goody, just how I wished to go for the rest of my life. Although, I wonder how Mario is doing? Hopefully just fine and that he isn't still looking for me. It'd be a wild goose chase for them, no doubt. Even I don't know where I am. Guess I'll just wait here for whatever comes my way, if anything ever does." He sighed again, and started rapping his knuckles on the hard stone floor. A Koopa guard walked by his cell holding a club. He stopped and turned to Boone, glaring. Boone immediately stopped, and tried once more to sleep. It was all he really could do…

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_Elsewhere in the compound that Boone was being held in…_

Captain Graves was not happy. He had been coming up empty handed for days now in his search to find Boone. His entire crew had come up with nothing, and most gave up and spent the time in on the boat tidying or doing other things. But things had taken a turn for the better, at first.. He had gotten a tip from a, ahem, _willing_ citizen about a secret jail under the city. And that's where he was now. At least, he presumed it. Right now, he was crammed tightly between the earth above him, and the roof of the place. How and why they did that, he had no idea, and really didn't care about it either. "It's a good thing I'm not claustrophobic." he grumbled. "Argh, I need to get out of here!" Struggling, he managed to pull out a cutlass. He stabbed down upon the ceiling with it, cutting in to form a large gash in the ceiling, very fine and not quite noticeable. Graves peeked through with one eye, looking all around the area. There were several Koopatrols walking through, as well as two strange shadows. They had a full three-dimensional form, yet they seemed to constantly be changing. However, they always kept in a general humanoid shape, standing perhaps four feet. "Well I'll be," Graves marveled. "Seems this place 'as more to it than meets the eye. And I would bet that landlubber Boone and perhaps even Luigi may just be down here. But just how do I get through this? If only this pirate were a ninja…No, NO! Ye father would be shamin' ye just fer that! Our types are far better than the pathetic ninjas. And I think I'll just prove it now, haha!"

Graves took the cutlass once more, and sliced a perpendicular cut to his previous one. This was done far more hastily and noisily than his original cut, garnering unwanted attention from below.

"Hey Joe, how long have we had those cuts in the ceiling?" one Koopa asked his companion. The other just shrugged as they began to walk under it.

"Eh, it's been there. You know how this place is, nothing special. Just same old, same old."

The Koopa named "Joe" had no idea how wrong he was. As soon as the two walked past Graves' cuts, the ceiling burst open as the pirate Goonie dropped down. Metal shards rained down around him as he immediately went into action. Taking his cutlass, he slashed at the shells of the two Koopas, breaking them apart. Scared, they ran off screaming, also turning heads as they left. Several other Koopas remained, but none stayed for Graves to attack them. This left the two shadows. Graves looked at them suspiciously, the two merely standing in the same spot. Slowly, two glowing orbs that could only be described as opened on each of their heads. Graves readied himself, his sword about to strike, when they appeared next to him instantaneously.

"What? What are the both of ye? Some freak rogues of Shadow Sirens?" The shadows merely cocked their heads sideways, one on either side of him. "Listen ye scallywags! I don't have the time to deal with fools like the both of ye! Now just go and-AUGH!" cried Graves as the two beings seemed to melt into the ground. However, instead of merely disappearing, they slowly spread themselves into shadow particles that slowly moved over to Graves' foot (and peg leg), quickly consuming them and rooting him in his place.

Graves sighed. "I truly hoped it never had to come down to this. But, it seems I may have just met my match. Well you scallywags, get a load of Graves' favorite thing in the world!" he yelled, dropping his sword and pulling out two small bombs, the fuses magically igniting as he did so. "Eat this, darn it!" he screamed at the top of his lungs, thrusting the two bombs at the shadows. The next second, the whole hallway exploded.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Mario and Duplissa gazed at the map. The Star shone brightly in the location where it was being held captive. The massive city of Koopolis, with its towering skyscrapers and huge port, was covered by the Mega Star on the map. Mario slammed his fists on the nearest wall in frustration. The whole time…this whole time there was a Star located in Koopolis. Of all places, it had to be there. But no wonder! Dimentio was there, why was that not a surprise. Put two and two together, and it all falls in place.

"Mario?" Mario looked up, his anger slowly draining away. Duplissa looked nervous. "Does that mean…that that guy Dimentio has the Star?" Mario nodded. "So…then once Shelly and William are better, we have to go back…there?" Mario reluctantly nodded again. He didn't want to go back. He knew the two girls probably didn't either. They lost both Luigi and Boone there, so who knows what could happen next time. But, there was that chance that maybe they could be found! If they beat Dimentio, maybe they would find those two after that! It was possible…and they would have to try it. Even if it killed them, because Mario knew how dangerous Dimentio was, that psychotic jester. This time, they would make sure Dimentio would be gone for good.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Graves moaned as he pushed some debris off of him. 'I am never going to do that again unless I'm sure that it'll kill me. Ugh.' He flexed his arms and legs making sure nothing was broken. To his surprise, nothing was broken. In fact, he was just badly burned and bruised, but nothing that would threaten his life. Although, his arm feathers were scorched now. It looked as if they would be a charred gray for however long his game lasted. 'Great, just great. No lady is going to look at me ever again if I'm like this.' Grunting, he slowly stood himself up. His peg leg had been splintered at its end, causing him to walk unevenly.

Looking around, Graves saw that the blast had caused the ceiling where he had been to collapse, which was several hundred feet away from where he now stood. "Blast must've launched me a ways. And taken out those two." He shook his head to get bits of dust and gravel off and out of his few strands of hair. He looked down and saw his cutlass shattered like glass, causing him to chuckle a bit. "Ol' pappy's going to be made that his sword was busted up like that. Oh well, Georgie can fix me up a new one when I get back."

Graves saw that he was now at the end of the hallway, which took a turn into another one from where he was. Grinning, he stealthily (at least as stealthily as a pirate could) moved down the hallway. The hallway was almost totally consumed in darkness after the two bombs blew the power out, causing the jail to resort to auxiliary power, submerging the hallways in a deep red.

Continuing on his way through the labyrinth that was the jail, Graves was met with very little resistance. A few Koopatrols and even some Bob-Ombs got in his way, but they were no match for Graves. He may have been injured and without a sword, but he still had his own hand-to-hand combat, which wasn't much, but still proved effective.

"It'll be only a matter of time. Soon, I'll find those two. I can feel it in my bones. Soon."

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Boone woke with a start. From what he could see and hear, the whole place was bathed red, which was odd, but a nice change of scenery. More interesting to him, however, was that he was seeing Koopas and Goombas all running in the same direction, shouting at each other about an intruder. "Odd," he mused. "Finally, at least something to change the dull doom and gloom." He spied several more creatures that he had never seen before also running, or more like drifting, with the crowds. They were only shadows from what he could tell, their forms distorting perpetually. Boone eyed them suspiciously, but ended up not paying them any mind. "Probably nothing I need to worry about."

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Graves was starting to slow down more now. The guards had been at a near constant stream now, so fatigue was about to get him. He was tempted to use one final bomb that he had leftover, but decided against it. "Only when the going gets really bad. Like if there are more of those shadows." Ignoring his body's pain, he kept going, even resorting to using his splintered peg leg as a defense, which he removed and instead held like a sword. No problem really for him though, since he still had his real leg underneath it.

After what seemed like hours, and a wave of hundreds of enemies, they finally just stopped. Unconscious enemies or the occasional dead body littered the hall as Graves stood alone, panting. The Goonie looked around out of his single eye, making sure nothing was still around to take him down. Satisfied with what he saw, he moved on, running now. He still had a ways to go.

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Mario and Duplissa were both waiting patiently for news on their two comrades. They had already been discharged, seen as good to go after a while, although still suffering from some burns and scrapes. A Toadette walked out with William following behind, grinning like he just won the lottery. The Toadette smiled at Mario before looking down at a clipboard for a moment. "Your friend here has made a complete recovery!" she chirped in her high-pitched voice. "He should be good to go for now, in spite of his age. Amazing, really. On the other hand though…the Shy Gal is still unconscious. We can't be sure how long it'll last, but we'll keep you informed. Now, if you want you all can stay here and wait. But I would suggest getting some more rest."

They knew she was right. A day after their battle in the volcano, and they were all suffering miserably from it. Reluctantly, Mario stood up, motioning for the other two to follow. Downtrodden, they walked out of the hospital, and found the nearest Toad House hotel to stay in for the night, or for however long it would take for Shelly to wake up.

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"Crud." Was the first thing Graves said when he saw what was in front of him. Five more shadows were blocking the hallway, and from what he could see, the jail cells. Gritting his teeth, he looked around him, trying to find a way around it. Pipes dotted the ceiling, and there seemed to be some space between them and the ceiling. 'Perhaps…' he thought. 'It could just work. If I do it just right, I'll be home free. If not…well, I know the result of that.'

The shadows had already opened their 'eyes' and looked ready to attack. Sure enough, they began to pool into the floor and slowly move over to trap Graves. Acting quickly, Graves flapped up, soaring to the pipes and grabbing hold, he climbed over to an opening big enough for him, and pulled out his last bomb. "Do me well!" he shouted, throwing it straight down at the shadows on the floor. Just as it hit the ground, Graves pulled himself into the protection of the rafters. The explosion rattled them, causing him to hold on to whatever he could.

After the smoke cleared, he peered over the ledge to take in his surroundings. Nothing was moving, and the shadows looked to be annihilated, just like the last ones. "Now, I am home free!" he laughed, gliding down before continuing on.

He came across a room that was still lit up. Entering, he found it to be empty, but a control console was still on. Upon further inspection, Graves found that it controlled the entire prison. And had a catalog as to where everyone was held, with a life video feed of their cell. "Now just where are our friends?" he mumbled, beginning to scroll through the list of pictures of the cellmates. They were categorized by species, so he began with human. To his shock and displeasure, Luigi was nowhere to be found. "That's not a good sign," he grimaced. Turning back to look, he began to search for Boone. Eventually, he came upon the Boomerang Bro's picture and cell. "Bingo." He grinned, and promptly flew out, continuing on to look for the cell.

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Boone was back to being bored. The swarm of guards had finished a while ago, and nothing else was really happened right now. A few prisoners he could hear were moaning in pain or just flat out complaining, but he just put them out of his mind. All he could think of all of a sudden was escape. The power was out, and the guards were gone, so why not? He could possibly do it; he would just need to figure out how.

To his shock, a Goonie suddenly appeared in front of his cell, looking up at the number. "Found it." he muttered. Looking into the cell, he saw Boone as he slowly inched closer to the cell door. "Who are you?" Boone asked, curious as to why this guy was here. Graves laughed. "Not surprised you don't recognize me. But then again, you landlubber, I never took you as being able remembering a face much. That and, I am pretty beat up aren't I?" Boone nodded. "I'll say."

Graves laughed lightly. "Well, here's a quick refresher! I sailed you and your friends all the way to this totalitarian dump! Now look where this all ended up!"

Realization came to Boone. "Captain Graves?" The Goonie bowed. "At your service and here to get you out of this place. Your friends are worried, you know. But enough chit-chat, I'll be freein' ye in a moment's notice. Just give me your helmet."

A few minutes passed, and Graves made a bomb out of the helmet, causing Boone to stare in awe, and fear. "You sure that won't kill the both of us?" Graves nodded. "Of course! I stood a blast from two earlier, why do you think I look so terrible! Now stand back so I can blow this out." Boone did so without complaint. Graves knocked the bomb's reaction to occur, and ran off like a madman.

The bomb exploded, although it wasn't nearly as bad as the last few had been. Fortunately, it blew a hole into Boone's iron doorway, allowing him to reclaim his freedom. "Now," Graves said. "Let's find a way out of this metal maze!"

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**I really liked writing this chapter. I like the character of Graves, he is definitely the favorite of my OCs here. See you all later!**


	22. Chapter 21

**First chapter in a while, hasn't it? Sorry, I had a bit of writer's block in coming up with this one. I just threw it together, I'm not too sure if I like it that much. Oh well, don't let my opinion affect yours. Enjoy!**

**P.S. Thank you guys so much for reviewing. I have over 50 reviews now. I never saw that coming. I came here thinking, yeah I could write some stories. But I never expected too many reviews. Sure, maybe 50 isn't much to say about (take some I've been reading. Over 3000 reviews? Really?). But yeah, thank you guys. I am really glad that people enjoy this!**

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Chapter 21: Prison Break, Wanted Fugitives

After freeing Boone from his prison, Captain Graves began to lead him through the underground jail in an attempt to get back into Koopolis. That had been hours ago.

"I thought you knew your way out of here!" cried Boone. He clearly wasn't enjoying walking around the cold metallic floors and dimly lit interior of the jail. Graves pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "I thought I did! Stop blathering and maybe I could figure it out!"

Boone pouted, quite unnecessary for his age, but continued walking. The hallway they were in seemed to just stretch on forever, without any turns or branching paths. They both walked down in silence, having lowered their guard long ago ever since Graves concluded that there were no longer any security forces left over in the building after he had apparently taken each of them out. However it was in this that they noticed how truly quiet it was. The only noise seemed to be the steady beat of their feet and of their breathing.

"Hmm." Graves said, putting his right hand ready at his cutlass. "I'm not sure I like this. Sure, I'm used to this silence on the high seas when the crew has taken a rest and you only have the soft rush of waves against your ship to hold sound. Now I'm sure you're used to this somewhat, too." Boone nodded his head in agreement. "You bet. Being in the vast forests for practically all of my life was definitely something. Nothing but the crickets and birds to keep you company all through the day and night. I can say this though, never has the silence been more unnerving than it is here."

"Yeah, well better keep your guard up. Although I'm positive that I took care of the last of the guards, I have the worst feeling that something else is going to happen. If any more of these freakish shadows begin to show up, then I believe we are definitely at a loss."

"Shadows?" inquired Boone. "What Shadows?"

Graves made a grunting sound. "I'm surprised that you didn't see those buggers throughout your little stay here. As soon as I arrived, there were two living shadows that tried to kill me. But a couple o' bombs were enough to take them down. I had to deal with several more just before I got to findin' you. They were the reason I'm scorched like I am." Graves let a dry laugh after saying that, but quieted shortly, continuing the walk in silence.

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Another hour passed, and at this point they finally came to a fork in the corridor. Another plus for them was that there was a computer terminal with directions of where the exits were.

"Look at that!" Graves shouted, pointing at the screen. "If we take a right here, then it's just a couple hundred feet before another right, and then we are practically at the exit. Just a simple set of stairs up to the surface."

"And daylight! And fresh air!"

Graves laughed. "Yep. You landlubber, you can't go long without that stuff, can you? Ever heard that too much of a good thing is bad?" Boone shook his head. "I can tell."

Running faster now, the duo took the right and continued on until they saw the next hallway to their right. At this point, they were more than happy to get out of the prison. Graves had been right to call it a labyrinth. 'Probably to prevent escaped prisoners from actually escaping.' Thought Graves.

Rounding the final corner, they were overjoyed to see the double doors to the stairway. Now at a full on sprint, both near hysterics, they tried to get to the exit as fast as they could. Alas, fate can be so horribly cruel. Two shadows rose up from the floor in front of the doors, glowing orb-like eyes already exposed. Screaming in fear, Boone and Graves immediately came to a screeching halt only several feet away from the two shadows.

'Crud, they already have their eyes open.' Observed Graves. This time he actually pulled out his sword, battle-ready even though he knew that it would do nothing for him. Boone, lacking his signature giant boomerang, nervously put his fists up, resorting to meager hand-to-hand fighting. "Uh, Boone," Graves said, "I'm positive that your fists will solve nothing here. It would probably go right through them."

"Then why are you using your sword?"

"It's all I got, just like you! Happy?!" Boone smirked triumphantly at this. Through their bickering, neither noticed the distorting shadows actually gained some kind of form. One stayed about the same height, but gained a few dark armor pads and what could only be described as a beak and shell. The other shrunk down, its legs becoming mere twigs while the arms lengthened into wings, one holding a sword. The body itself became oval-like, with what looked like an oval beak protruding outwards. Both kept the glowing eye sockets from before. Also, even as they gained more definitive forms the two still slightly distorted as they remained rooted to the same spots.

It was as this point that both Boone and Graves finally noticed what was occurring in front of them, prompting further screams from them both. "They cloned us!" shouted Boone. He began to slowly back up a few steps. "Hey, get back here ya scurvy-bird!" Graves barked.

"You're more of a bird than me!"

"That's not the point! Now get over here and help me beat these two. You're twice my age at least, so I don't see why you're acting like this!" Taking the distraction between the two, the shadows rushed at them to attack. Squawking, Graves flew up to the ceiling to avoid them. Boone wasn't so lucky, and instead ran off screaming. "Get back here ya scallywag!"

The Boomerang Bro. didn't hear Graves' shouting, and continued to run until he reached the end of the hall. Stopping, he looked back to see both shadows quickly coming at him. He squeezed his eyes shut, fearing for the worst. "May Jaydes have mercy upon my endgame!" But it never came. Instead, he felt himself being lifted straight up to the ceiling. "Huh? So…I'm going straight to the Overthere? I was that good? YES!"

"Pipe down you! Or do you want me to drop you back down?"

"Huh?" Boone looked up and saw that it had been Graves who had carried him up and over the two shadows. Looking back, he saw the two looking left and right down the hallway for him, before heading to the left believing they were in pursuit once more. Sighing in relief, Graves lightly set Boone down.

"Er, thanks." Boone said, scratching the back of his head. Graves sighed in exasperation, but calmed himself. "No problem. Just don't go running off like a girl again. I don't want to have to deal with that. Especially because, again, you are TWICE my age." Boone grinned sheepishly. "Eh, heh heh…sorry?"

Sighing, Graves started walking to the exit. "Just forget. We're lucky those things are incompetent enough to not look back. Or up. But let's just get moving in case they decide to come back."

"Like right now?"

"Yes, like right-what?" Sure enough, both shadows were rounding the corner and coming back at them. "CRUD!" shouted Graves. "No time to talk now, let's just get moving!" Boone didn't have to be told twice. Both immediately sprinted for the door, Graves leading the way with his sword out and ready. As they reaching the doors, Graves merely cut through them so that they didn't waste time fumbling with the door knobs. This opened up into a stairway leading up that stretched to a gunmetal grey ceiling; perhaps what would be eight stories up.

Neither paying any real attention to this, they scrambled to the first steps and sprinted as fast as they could, although in Graves' case, he flew. "No fair, you can get out sooner!" complained Boone as he jumped several steps at a time. "Well at least I'm hanging back to keep an eye on you so you don't get taken again!" countered Graves. They had already cleared two levels as the shadows began to make their way up. Instead of running, however, they merely dissolved into the ground and moved up the steps as singular splotches of inky darkness.

"Keep moving, they're coming!" Graves said as he noticed them drifting up. Boone was in a full panic, now jumping five steps at a time and not giving much pause in between. "Good thing I grew up in the woods, otherwise I would be dead Koopa right now!"

Another few levels of steps, and they reached the ladder up onto the surface. Graves and Boone began climbing it just as the shadows reached the stop as well. They reconstituted themselves into the clone forms, running at the ladder. Graves was fumbling with the latch at the top, but managed to open it in a few more seconds. "Come on, they're right here!" screamed Boone. Graves squawked in fear, pushing the latch open and flying out. Boone scrambled out moments later with both shadows coming out right behind.

The Koopolis civilians took notice of the scene unfolding, all stopping what they were doing to watch what would happen next. Boone and Graves scrambled back into the wall of a nearby building, cowering in fear as the shadows slowly approached. Just as the two were about to attack, a box outline appeared around them before closing up and warping them away. Boone was just about to speak when another warp box appeared, disappearing with Dimentio in its place.

"Ahahaha! My citizens, here you have just seen another brave deed done by your humble and loving, ahem, ruler. Just now I have saved these two," he pointed at Boone and Graves. "And thus allowed their games to continue unharmed. Those shadows were agents of Merlon, a horrible man if I do say so myself. He was attempting to destroy us, and the utopia we have built up! I believe we should…"

As Dimentio continued, Boone leaned over and whispered to Graves. "He seems busy and distracted now. We should probably start moving out of here before he notices us again. I really don't like the looks of where things are headed right now anyways." Graves gave no reply, instead slipping into an alley that was a few feet from them. Boone followed suit, neither losing sight of Dimentio in the process. As soon as they felt safe, they turned around and ran.

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"Yo, L? Is that magnetic force repel ready yet?"

"Yeah, yeah. Just hold on you punk." Mr. L sighed, wiping sweat off of his forehead. Both he and Bowser Jr. had been hard at work on their new mech for the past few weeks now. It was about halfway done, but even then there was still a lot to do. "Now the question is, Jr., do you have that flamethrower ready?"

"Yep! Papa would be so proud of me..."

"Yeah, well 'Papa' ain't here right now! Just you and me! Now I suggest that 'you' get to work on the fireball launcher before 'me' goes berserk and beats you down, Brobot style!"

Bowser Jr. stuck his tongue out in response, but did as he was told. Their new mech was indeed grand. At least one hundred and fifty feet tall, it was a sight to behold. Heavily armored, they knew it would need a lot more to keep it up to standards to fight Mario after what past experience told them. Weapons were also aplenty on it. At least ten currently, but in their blueprints there were still fifteen more to add.

"Jr., hand me that wrench, will ya?" Grunting, Bowser Jr. tossed the wrench down from where he was. Not noticing, Mr. L received a near concussion when the tool struck him in the skull. "Yeeeeeow! Watch it kid, or your dad will really hear it from me!"

Jr. snorted. "Papa probably won't listen to you. He doesn't even really like you anyways."

"Well…Dimentio will side with me!"

"That's because that weirdo jester thinks of you as his only competent minion. Of course he'll side with you!"

"Yeah, I know…well enough chit-chat! Let's get this sucker done already! Down with Mario!"

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**I added that Mr. L and Bowser Jr. bit just because 1) They have been MIA for a few chapters and 2) This chapter seemed too short without it. Well, I hope you guys enjoyed this, I'll start working on the next one soon enough. I think I hit a bump in the story here, I'm trying to think of what to do. Oh well, I'll come up with something.**


	23. Chapter 22

**Oh my gosh, writer's block hit me hard in this chapter. I finally managed to get my thoughts together to write this. Think I just needed a little break from it all. But things should pick up a bit more, sooner or later. I have the next few updates in my head, so I just need to write them out. And Summer comes to an end for me on September 1st (1st day of my Junior year. No yay.) I hope that I can get at least three or four more chapters before then. But I'll really need to start working. I do know that we'll have the fourth Mega Star by then, I can guarantee it (unless something REALLY unexpected comes up). But please do enjoy, and thank you for all of the reviews everyone.**

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Chapter 22: Reawakening

While the events of Boone and Graves escape were forgotten, over in Bullet Estates, Shelly had still yet to awaken. Several weeks had passed since they had managed to get the third Mega Star, and Mario had been waiting with Duplissa and William ever since.

The ritzy atmosphere and charm of Bullet Estates had quickly worn off in that time, leaving both Mario and Duplissa bored as they waited for their fallen comrade. William tried as best as he could to keep the cheer around, but ended up failing. "I give UP!" he finally said. Mario and Duplissa looked up at him, their faces showing nothing more than sadness. They were once again in the hospital, waiting for more news on Shelly. While she had healed from her injuries by SingeFrost, she remained completely comatose.

"We HAVE to do something different here. There is just no WAY we can stick around here forever until Shelly wakes up. For all we know, it could BE months!" William argued. Mario sighed. He knew that the Bullet Bill was right. They had to get moving to Koopolis soon to go after Dimentio and the fourth Mega Star. If not…then it may be too late by the time Shelly finally woke up.

"You…really don't think that we can leave Shelly behind. Do you?" Duplissa looked worriedly at Mario, her eyes pleading with him to wait. "NOW wait just a minute!" William began. "I didn't join THIS group here just to sit around and do nothing! We need to GET going to that big ol' city Koopolis now or we may as well quit!"

Duplissa looked hurt by the Bullet's words. "But...what about Shelly? She knows everything! She can help us figure out what to do! Plus, if we left her behind, we'd be missing Luigi, Boone, and her! And Mario…he doesn't seem to like when that happens." Mario lowered his head before standing up and walking out. He didn't want any part of this argument; he needed relief from it all.

Exiting from the hospital, Mario looked around him. The richer class walked all around him, all of different species. Many took note of him and nodded with a smile towards. Mario smiled back, happy that they did not have to perish from the result of his battle with SingeFrost.

As he began to walk along the road, he thought about his adventure so far. He had reclaimed three of the seven Mega Stars already, going through so much to get where they were now. He had lost Luigi, Boone, and possibly Shelly. He didn't want any worse to happen, things never happened this badly for him. He began to fear that this may be the final battle. That when he fought Bowser this time…he may not walk out alive. Every new issue took its toll upon him. When it all did end, he truly hoped things would end well, just as they always did.

Before he could continue his thoughts, someone's shouts grabbed his attention. Turning around, he saw William charging up the street, his top hat magically hanging on. "MARIO? MARIO!" William halted right beside him. "Mario, YOU need to get back over to the hospital pronto. Seems the Toad doctors think that Shelly may be waking!"

As soon as William finished, they wasted no time in getting back. William didn't stop in time at the entrance, and ended up crashing through, leaving a gaping hole in the doors. Receiving glares from some of the staff, he quickly but silently chugged away to where Shelly was being kept. Mario followed, walking quickly along the hallway. He came upon Shelly's room, and walked in.

The room had at least four doctors surrounding Shelly, as well as Duplissa and William off on the side in chairs. Mario took his seat next to them, waiting patiently for the doctors' words. After talking amongst themselves for a little while longer, they turned to face Mario. One of the Toads spoke up.

"Well, it seems your friend is stabilizing. Each of her injuries have healed, and she is showing signs of waking up." Mario, Duplissa, and William breathed a collective sigh of relief. "I would expect for her to wake up anytime now," the doctor predicted. "In fact, that she managed to heal and even live, that's quite impressive, especially for a Shy Guy."

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Unbeknownst to everyone, while Shelly was still comatose, she could still hear and think. The doctor's words entered her mind, disrupting her from her blissful mental rest. 'Huh?' the Inner Shelly said. 'I didn't just hear…no, it was nothing. I think I'll just go back and sleep now. It feels so wonderful, so peaceful.'

"…for a Shy _Guy…_"

The Inner Shelly, just as she was about to fall back asleep, immediately shot up, mental eyes open. "Oh, they did not…"

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"So you see, I would give it at least a few more days before she will probably awaken." The Toad doctor concluded. Mario nodded in understanding, but still found it unreasonable. Shelly needed to be up now; otherwise he'd have to leave her behind.

"Shy GUY?" A voice questioned angrily. Everyone looked around them to find who the voice belonged to, but found nothing. "Down here, freaks. Remember, the Shy GUY?"

Everyone in the room looked at the unconscious body of Shelly. Or at least, formerly unconscious. Instead, a very angry Shy Gal stood atop the hospital bed, clutching the sheet in one hand, seething in rage. "Ah," the main Toad doctor said, surprised. "You are up earlier than any of us had expected. Wonderful, such wonderful news. I'm sure your friends are quite happy to see you back. Now, we will probably need you to stay for at least another day to make sure things will be al-" Before the Toad could finish his sentence, he was punched into the wall.

"I'm a SHY GAL. Totally different! You guys are doctors for crying out loud, could you not tell the difference. You go to school for years, learn a ton of stuff, and are paid ridiculous coin salaries. And forget about staying for another day. Can't you tell my friends don't want to? I don't want to either. Plus, I feel better than I have in years. I think that I'm okay. Got it?" The Toad moaned, and then nodded weakly. His colleagues merely stood rooted in their positions, neither speaking nor moving, all in fear of the Shy Gal in front of them. "Good," the irate Shelly said. She hopped off of the bed, walking to the door. "Mario, grab those two and let's get out of this place. I never like the rich and famous, they never let their expensive toys near the Toy Box."

Wasting no time, Mario ran out after her, Duplissa following. William looked at the doctors uneasily, before saying one last remark. "You know, SHE is right. You doctors really need HELP. And I paid for you each to GO to medical school. This is NOT good." He muttered, chugging out after the team.

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"It's…great to have you back on the team, Shelly." Duplissa said nervously. The Shy Gal was still cooling off after her outburst in the hospital. William kept his mouth shut, merely saying a quick "welcome back" to Shelly after they made their exit. He knew that she probably didn't want to hear him at the moment.

Shelly sighed, calming down even more. "Hey, it's great to be back. I did miss you guys, I'll admit."

"Same with us. We missed you Shelly." Duplissa replied. Shelly smiled at this. "Thanks you guys. That means a lot." Shelly then dropped the subject, switching to more pressing matters. "Okay, so you guys need to fill me in on a lot now. How long was I out for? Where's the next Mega Star? What's happened since SingeFrost? All that good stuff." The group began to walk towards the train depot at the edge of town, with Mario telling Shelly of everything that had occurred over the past weeks. Getting on the train, William took hold of the controls, and began their journey back to Koopolis, the message becoming clear to Shelly.

The next Star had been right under their noses the whole time.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………....

"Oh, very nice, L." Dimentio said. Bowser Jr., Mr. L, and he were all standing in front of the mech project the former two had been working on over the past weeks. It was very near completion now, only a few more adjustments were to be added.

"Thank you, sir. I do hope you are proud of my work. Really, it wasn't much-ow!" Mr. L exclaimed. Bowser Jr. had elbowed him in the ribs as he spoke. "What he means," Jr. corrected. "Is that WE are hoping that we have done you proud. A good design, I hope."

Dimentio nodded. "Ah yes. A beautiful piece of destruction, I must say. You two live well up to what I imagined. Very well. I will leave you both to pilot it, when the time arrives. Not now, of course. But soon. Master predicts within a month or so. So be ready."

Mr. L and Bowser Jr. saluted. "Yes Dimentio, sir. We will make you proud of our work."

The jester grinned. "Excellent, you two," he laughed for a moment. "Oh, what joy it will bring me. Truthfully, I can see it now. Like a young boy's foot descending upon helpless ants, this shall bring down Mario. Master is sure of it." He began to laugh maniacally.

"Hey boss," Mr. L interrupted. "Just a question…who is Master?"

Dimentio instantly stopped, regaining his composure. "Nobody. Nobody you may need to concern yourself. In fact, look at the time. I shall leave you both to continue. Ciao!" With a snap of his fingers, Dimentio vanished in a warp portal. Mr. L looked to Bowser Jr. in confusion. "Don't look at me," Jr. said, shrugging. "You know the guy more than I do. He just hired me and Papa let him. I would think you would know."

"Nope. Not a clue," Mr. L said, looking to the mech. "Forget about worrying over that. Let's get to work. We need to finish and be ready within a month! Let's get at it!"

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**Eh, shorter chapter, with just a bunch of mindless filler stuff. I hate this chapter, I don't like how it came out. That's what writer's block does to you, I suppose. Hopefully I don't deal with it anytime soon. But I do hope everyone enjoyed this more than I did. I'll make this up once they get to Koopolis, I promise!**


	24. Chapter 23

**Quicker update than I have been doing recently. Guess whose back in this chapter? Ah, I really like this one. Makes me feel happy about things to come. Well, kinda.  
On a completely unrelated note, I saw G.I. Joe. Never thought I would see it, but I did. Mildly enjoyable, I must admit. Truthfully, I wish I saw District 9 instead, but that's R! Times like this are when the ratings system can get annoying.**

**Anyways, thanks for the continuing reviews, guys! I'm glad at least some people enjoyed the last chapter. Enjoy this one!**

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Chapter 23: Sneaky Reunion

William's train blasted along the railroad tracks, dust from the surrounding land kicking up violently. The train was almost completely empty due to the sudden departure. Shelly had already asked William about this, but he merely brushed her off. "I own the Estates, and I own the train. I get to do it however I wish." He had said in his defense. Shelly shook her head in disbelief, but asked no more, instead walking away and into the passenger cabin that Mario, Duplissa, and she had decided to be in.

The Estates and their neighboring volcano quickly disappeared over the horizon. Each of them sighed in relief, happy that they would not have to go back and have the memories come back to them. The Sun was high in the sky, but not that it mattered. It was still darker than the norm, the world in perpetual twilight. Duplissa sighed as she observed this while looking out the train window. It was depressing for her, having to live in this. She just wanted things back to the way they were.

"Hey Duplissa," Shelly said, interrupting her thoughts. "I know you're worried about this whole mess the world is in. But really, you shouldn't. We're with Mario, and he always gets the job done. If you knew of how many times he's saved people, and defeated this Bowser freak, then you wouldn't worry about it."

"Yeah, you're right." The young Duplighost replied. 'But I can't shake the feeling that something is off…'

"Excuse ME," rang William's voice on the train's loudspeaker. "I would LIKE to inform our passengers that we shall be arriving in the splendor that is Koopolis in under an hour. Please be sure you have ALL your belongings with you. If you forget them, OH well! Mine NOW!" he began to laugh hysterically before the intercom shut off.

Shelly put her face into her hand. "I will seriously have to do something about that Bullet. If not, I fear I may die from the madness. It's a good thing I have you, Duplissa. You are at least sane." Mario gave her a dejected look. "Well you're a given," she countered. "You always know what's up. Perfectly sane, that's you."

They continued talking for the rest of the hour, ending as the train came to a sudden halt in Koopolis. This sent all three of them flying into the wall, thankfully not suffering injuries. "If I did get a concussion from that…William will be so-"

Mario put up a hand to silence the Shy Gal, to which she complied to, albeit with plenty of grumbling. They stumbled out of the train carriage, finding their way onto the platform as they waited for William. He joined them shortly after handing a key to a Cheep-Cheep. "What was that about?" Shelly immediately asked.

"Well, since I figured I'd be gone a while, I decided to lend the train duties to that fellow RIGHT there. I know him from a while BACK, he'll be good. And if things don't turn out well, I can pay for ANY damages. Being rich has such benefits…ones that my children shall never get to experience."

"Greedy freak." Shelly mumbled.

Mario sighed, walking away to not get involved. Duplissa hurried after him, Shelly shortly after, but not before shooting William a look. The Bullet Bill only hovered in the same position for a few more seconds before realizing that everyone had left. "WAIT for me!" he shouted, blasting through the platform to catch up.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Mario and his team carefully ventured through the crowds of Koopolis. They knew that from past experience, anything could go wrong. More than likely, it would. Sticking close in a group, they made their way to the outer edge of the city, where the security was lesser, as was the watchful eye of Dimentio. Mario was uneasy knowing that the jester could be anywhere watching them. More than likely, he knew that they were coming for the Mega Star. If anything was evidence from their last encounter, it was that this wasn't going to be easy.

Mario had Shelly and William hide away in the Partner Place **(See AN at the end for explanation)**, while keeping Duplissa out with him. He saw the security cameras sporadically placed around them, so in a moment of quick thinking, had Duplissa disguise the both of them as simple Koopa heading for a job. Fortunately for them, every Koopa was almost identical.

Continuing along, they stuck along buildings rather than being more exposed by being in the center of the crowds. Duplissa was nearly separated from Mario several times, but she managed to find him each time. Not too long after, they took note of the deteriorating quality of the city around them. The skyscrapers grew sparse and the buildings began to look more and more dilapidated. Finally, they reached the same bar as Mario had visited on his original trip through. Motioning to Duplissa, the little Duplighost dispelled the illusion on them. He also had Shelly and William rejoin them.

"Ugh, never make leave me alone with this guy again," she ranted. "All he does is yap-yap-yap-yap-yap! I was about ready to break your can over your head!" William backed a few feet away, nervously adjusting his monocle. Not letting things devolve into anything worse, Mario walked into the bar, the others getting the signal and following closely behind.

Evening was setting in, as the little light there was in the windows began to dim. Mario looked around the lamp-lit room. The same type of shady characters, along with a few random visitors, sat around the main room, each enjoying a drink or a lively game. One group of poker players soon dispersed after a Bob-Omb went mad after winning the pot, promptly destroying the table, and charring his fellow players.

Mario ignored this, going ahead to the innkeeper and getting two rooms for his group. Turning back, he saw Shelly and Duplissa sitting at a table, the Shy Gal shaking her head in irritation. William was across the room playing a robust poker game with a group of Goombas and Shy Guys…and currently beating them.

"How the guy does it, I will never know. Perhaps one thing I do not wish to know, in fact." Shelly commented. She took the key to her and Duplissa's room, and walked up the stairs with the Duplighost scurrying after her.

Mario watched William's game for a while longer before boring of it, deciding to go ahead and go up to the room. William would be able to find his way.

Going to the room, Mario walked in to a familiar, simple layout of two beds, some random bits of furniture, a closet, and a bathroom. Truth be told, it was a bit much for a place like this. Mario walked around the room turning several lamps on to brighten the room. A few spiders scurried across the floor.

Ignoring them, he continued walking around, deciding instead to get some rest after the long day. Going to the bed, he tripped and fell onto his face. Sitting up, he turned to see what had caused this.

Interestingly enough, two small knots of rope were sticking out from the floor. Mario pulled up on them, allowing a trapdoor to rise a few inches before something cried out an "eep" from below, pulling back down on the rope. Trying even harder now, Mario pulled on the rope that he could, but was met with further resistance from below. Finally having enough, Mario pulled out his hammer, bringing it down upon the trapdoor, thus splintering it.

"Don't kill us Dimentio!" a voice cried from the darkness below. Mario was taken aback by this, and instead corrected their mistake. "M-Mario?" another voice asked. "Is that you?" Mario answered "yes."

"Great! You have no idea how long we've been waiting for you to come back!" the second voice said. Climbing out from the opening, a rather dirty Boone rose up into the light, Captain Graves following. Boone nudged Graves in the side. "See! I told you that he would somehow find us somewhere in this city!" Graves muttered nonsense angrily in response. Boone turned to Mario once more. "We have been on the lam from the police force here, and of course, Dimentio. Graves helped me escape a month or so ago, and we've been hiding ever since." Mario asked him about where he was. "Well, it was really out of sight. As in, under the city itself."

"Such a pain to get to, and also to find this landlubber." Graves added, gingerly rubbing his bandaged wings. Boone nodded. "Yeah, he's not joking. Wasn't much of a cake walk getting out, either. But yeah, you need to hear what happened-eh, actually, let's get everyone else together so I don't need to repeat myself. Everyone is still here, right?"

Mario nodded, and told him about the addition of William. "You have a rich Bullet on the team now? This adventure can't get much better!"

"But it can get a whole lot worse," interjected Graves.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

A while later, after gathering the two girls and also managing to rip William away from making off with every possession of the other card players, Mario settled everyone into his room, with Boone and Graves in the center of the group. Duplissa was overjoyed to see Boone again, as was Shelly.

After the commotion ended, Boone and Graves began their tale of how Boone was in his imprisonment, and how Graves broke in and freed him. They also mentioned their escape and how Dimentio had helped them out for some reason. Mario was uneasy upon hearing this, but that was soon forgotten when he asked about his younger brother, Luigi. Graves sighed, shaking his head. "I looked throughout the entire prison directory for him," the Goonie pirate said. "But there was no mention of him. I'm sorry." Mario patted him on the back, giving his thanks for at least trying his best to help. Graves cheered up a bit more after this, as did Boone. The Boomerang Bro then asked about how their time getting the third Star went.

Mario and the other three began their detailed tail of every event that transpired in Bullet Estates, including their trek into the volcano and the near disastrous battle with SingeFrost. Boone shook his head at this. "If I were there…I would have shattered his arm with my boomerang."

"He would have turned it into ashes," Shelly remarked. "By the way, where is your boomerang?" Boone's face fell only slightly. "Well…we never recovered it…or really found it. But, I shall fashion a new one! Just give me that chair over there, and I could make something nice."

"But that's the property of this inn."

"Yes, but we already destroyed the trapdoor there," he motioned to the splintered hole. "What's a missing chair going to be in the grand scheme of things?" he laughed, but then regained all seriousness. "So, just where do we go for the next Mega Star?"

Mario nervously looked to Shelly, Duplissa, and William. They each nodded to him. Turning to face Boone, Mario sighed, and then told him.

"…WHAT?!"

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**That wasn't terribly bad, I hope. Maybe I'll have the next one out in a few days. But then again, I really need to get moving on my summer essay (I have in fact started, and I do know what I'm writing about and everything. So it shouldn't be too bad.) And I should put some more work into my other story. But enough of this, I need to get some sleep (After reading a bunch of fanfictions). Goodbye everybody!**

**And to clear up about what the "Partner Place" is, it is the name I have decided to call wherever your partners in Paper Mario go since you can only have one out at a time. Personally, I don't feel like trying to figure out what it could be, so I'll just say it's some freak alternate dimension in one of Mario's overall pockets where his partners hang around in until they are needed. Lame explanation and name, I know. If you have a better name, go ahead and tell me.**


	25. Chapter 24

**Okay, so here's the deal: School starts in 11 days (that's Sept. 1) for me. In that time, I hope to get at least one more chapter in, if not two. Once school begins, obviously I'll be pressed for time. I guess I can rejoice about only having one AP course for my Junior year (AP Lang & Comp), but I'll still be busier with homework, studying, and cross country. So don't expect updates to occur as fast as they have been coming. That is, unless I can get a few nights of little to no homework. And even then, once it's November, I'm free from XC. Then nothing but school until Track in the Spring. Such a wonderful year I tell you.**

**Thanks to all who reviewed! Glad everyone liked the last chapter. Please, do enjoy this one!**

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Chapter 24: Jailbreak-in

After the shock wore off, Boone was left rather angry. "So this Star has been right under our noses this whole time? And we never knew about it?"

"Yep, that's about right." Shelly said, herself still annoyed thinking of it. Graves added in, confused by this. "But how is that so? My crew and I searched all over this city for your friends, and we never found any sign of a Mega Star. Not in the buildings, not in the sewers, not anywhere…unless…"

"Unless?" Shelly asked. "Unless what?"

Graves rubbed his chin with a bandaged wing. "Unless…it was well underneath us. I mean, this city has a lot to hide. I wouldn't actually be surprised if maybe the Star was held in the prison below us. I never saw the whole thing when I was down there, but it was a massive structure. I'd be shocked if I even saw half of it."

Mario was beginning to like where this was going. Now if only they could prove that theory, finding the Star may have just become a whole lot easier. Now just how…

"Mario?" Shelly interrupted. "I know exactly what you're thinking. And I believe I may have an idea." Everyone in the room quieted and waited for what the Shy Gal had to say. "Thanks for that. Now, I believe that perhaps the Star Navigator has a lot more to it than we know of. If we could just look it over, maybe we'll find something to help us out."

"I SUPPORT that plan," chimed in William. "HOWEVER, I also support that we get some sleep tonight. I have no idea about ANYONE else here, but I would much rather get a good deal of sleep before going off and beating a couple of ruffians." A murmur of agreement sounded through the group. Shelly groaned at this. "Ugh, fine. We can sleep first. But first thing tomorrow, we figure out how to find where the Star is."

"After breakfast!" added Boone.

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The following morning, everyone woke to the sound of Graves squawking up a storm from below. In the girls' room, Duplissa looked at Shelly, who was sitting upright in her bed, one eye twitching. Silently, she got out of the bed, and left the room to go downstairs. Duplissa winced a few seconds later as she heard Shelly screaming at the Goonie before a number of crashes were heard from below.

Duplissa hurriedly got up and out of bed, running downstairs to see what had happened. Everyone else had already made their way down to see what the commotion was. There stood Shelly, with a completely unconscious Graves in front of her on a broken table. A few other people stood around, some ignoring the whole thing, others staring in shock.

"Now understand that I will not put up with that again, you hear me?!" Shelly screamed at the Goonie. Despite being unconscious, he still managed to answer her. "But…I won…" This only seemed to further her anger.

"I don't care that you won a poker match. No one plays poker in the morning before most others are awake. What kind of crazy are you?" This time, she did not receive a reply. Satisfied, Shelly walked away from the scene, magically resuming control upon her emotions. "Hey everyone, how are you this morning?" she asked the team.

Mario shifted his eyes, trying to think of a way to not incur her anger once more. Boone answered for him. "Wonderfully dandy, thank you!" Mario slapped himself.

The group finally sat down and ate their breakfast. Mario walked away and dealt with the innkeeper for both the broken trapdoor in his room, as well as the broken table. It would cost him a pretty coin, but he paid. He'd go and get some payment from Graves at some point. For this, and for the overpriced services. Wasn't it bad enough to have a greedy rich man? Now he had a greedy pirate on the team.

"Mario!" shouted Boone from across the room. "Do you think we should get moving now? I would think that we would need a jumpstart in the morning if we need to find the you-know-what in this city!" Mario walked over to the enlarged group. They were all sitting in several chair and booths in a corner of the bar, some still eating. Or in Graves' case, with their face in their meal, still unconscious.

"So Mario, are you going to check out the Navigator now?" Shelly asked him as he sat. Mario was caught off guard by the question, but remembered the suggestion from the previous night. Taking it out, he looked around to make sure no one was looking. Same shady characters drinking themselves to blissful hangovers…except in the morning. He looked all around the small device for anything he may have somehow missed, but came up with nothing. He pulled up the holo map to see if anything new was there, but it seemed to be nothing special. The Star was still on the aerial view of Koopolis, if not a bit more zoomed in.

Sighing in exasperation, he set it down. "Oh come one!" Shelly whined. "That's all this hunk of plastic can do? Show a map? Good deal of help it gives!" She smashed her fist down upon the dome of the Navigator, knocking it onto the ground. After skittering to a halt on the wooden floor with the dome facing down, it began to glow a bright gold.

"Nice job Shelly! You broke it!" Boone said. Duplissa held a sheet hand up to him "Wait," she said. "Look, something weird is happening to it."

Sure enough, the glow had intensified over the past few seconds, and was shining brighter with every passing moment. Mario began to walk up to it, but Duplissa stopped him. "I don't think that's a good idea," she said. "It might…explode." Mario listened to the Duplighost, and stepped back away from the device. It now began to flash in a strobe effect, still gaining brightness. All of this had begun to attract attention from the other patrons of the bar, and all eyes were on the device on the floor. A second later, and it suddenly stopped.

William adjusted his hat and monocle nervously. "Whew, now if THAT wasn't a good scare, I don't know what-"

But before he could finish his statement, the Navigator unleashed a massive surge of energy in the form of a golden beam, travelling diagonally into the ground towards the center of the city. Moments later, the laser ended, leaving a rather large hole near the front of the bar, as well as rendering everyone speechless. Mario walked over to the Star Navigator and picked up the small device, pocketing it while looking around sheepishly. The Innkeeper's eye twitched in disbelief. "You people," he said, pointing to Mario and his partners. "Never have I seen one group make so much destruction in my bar. And you haven't had anything to drink!"

"I…I have!" shouted a half-conscious Graves from where he was.

"Besides you. But really now…this is becoming ridiculous. I want you all out soon. By noon today, if not sooner." As he finished speaking, a Koopa burst through the doors. "Sammy, make me up the usual, I'm feeling a mighty thirst this morn-AAAHHH!" he screamed, falling down into the hole. The Innkeeper, "Sammy", glared at Mario again. "OUT! NOW!"

Shelly ran up to Mario, and grabbed his arm. "Heh heh, yeah, we were just about to head out. Come on guys!" She shouted as she and Mario jumped down into the hole. The rest followed suit, with William carrying Graves. They were met with soft earth when they entered, and began to move quickly down the tunnel, with William's rocket being the only source of light. About a half-mile in they passed the poor Koopa who had walked into the hole, grumbling in fury as he trudged on up.

It wasn't long before the tunnel began to level out into a flatter terrain. "How'd the Navigator do that?" marveled Shelly at the sudden change. Everyone shrugged. "Power of the Stars?" suggested Boone.

A few minutes later, and they came upon a gaping hole in what appeared to be a steel wall, with dim lights flickering from a hallway within. No signs of life could be found around it. Taking the chance, Boone and the now fully conscious Graves peeked their heads around corners of the twisted steel. "Yep, this is the place," said Boone. "I would recognize my prison anywhere."

"As do I." said Graves. Shelly nodded. "Okay. Thanks for your help Graves," she turned to everyone. "Let's go guys. Mario, lead the way." Just as they began to enter the prison, Graves began to squawk.

"Argh, where do you all think ye be going?"

"Cut it with the pirate talk." Shelly said.

"Er…fine. But really, you think I would just leave you all here and now? Not a chance, I'm joining this adventure whether you all like it or not. Have to have some kind of a reputation to hold in history. Plus my buddy Luigi is still missing. Never leave a man down, I always say."

Mario nodded. Graves was a brave pirate indeed. More than likely, he could help. He already helped out plenty, so adding him to the team would be greatly beneficial. He told Graves that he was accepted.

"Alright!" He bowed to Mario. "Captain Bernard Graves, at your service. I promise you Mario, we will have Luigi back, or you can have my feathers in a nice down pillow. I ensure you the former!"

**Congratulations! The sword-wielding Goonie, Captain Graves, has joined your team! He can chop up enemies with a sword, or try a fancy swoop from above for aerial slices at foes. Outside of battle, he can use his flight to go across short distances, if necessary**.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

The new team of six walked along the cold, metal floors of the Koopolis Penitentiary. A few guards had stopped them, but were made short work. Deciding to keep things simple for the moment, Mario had all but Shelly hide away into the Partner Place for the time being. The two walked along the hallway, with nothing but the metal and the fluorescent lights. Not even an alternate corridor could be found, just a long stretch of hall.

"That's it, Mario, pull out that Navigator," Shelly demanded. "If that thing could blast a hole down here, I'm sure it could lead us around." Mario did as told, and upon activating it, found the map to be of an overview of the prison itself, with the Star being pointed far off in one corner. Smiling, Mario saw that it even had two dots for where he and Shelly were currently standing. A hallway was a little ways down to the left. They would take that, and keep following around in different hallways until they could make their way into where the Mega Star was being held. Unnervingly though, it looked like a labyrinth.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

The other partners were enjoying themselves at the moment in the Partner Place. Graves had been laughing at a joke with Boone, but suddenly stopped. "Something tells me," he said aloud. "That I should have warned Mario that this place was a labyrinth. Eh, he'll figure it out." And the Goonie promptly resumed his laughter.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Mario had been hoping that for some reason, getting to the Star would be easy. Beyond easy, to be truthful. Of course, he was dead wrong. Practically every corner there would be several more Koopatrols or Goombas that were blocking his way. "Mario, jump on them now!" Shelly yelled at him as she threw one Koopatrol back at his partner. Mario ran up to the fallen Koopas, jumping upon both multiple times. They instantly disappeared in puffs of smoke.

"How…much…further?" Shelly huffed. The constant fights were taking their toll on her. It wasn't that she was taking heavy damage, but she was becoming exhausted. Mario looked at the Navigator, and was disheartened to the see the Star was still a bit further on. He looked to the tired Shy Gal and asked her if she wanted to switch out with someone else. "Sounds…good to me." She said. Mario pulled Graves out from the Partner Place and allowed Shelly to rest in the small pocket dimension.

"Argh, you need me help, Mario?" Mario nodded, and proceeded to show him the Navigator and where the star was. "Seems fine. How has the security been?" Mario told him. "That bad, eh? I would have figured that they would be out since I practically annihilated the whole guard squad a few weeks back. Then again, that was a few weeks ago, they could have gotten plenty more in that time." He pulled out his sword. "Well then, let's get moving!"

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Hmm? What's this?" Dimentio mused, looking onto a set of security screens. He spotted Mario and Graves making their way through the prison far below from where he currently was. "It seems that like mice in a maze, our guests have nearly found their cheese. But I can't let them get it that easily…no, Master would be…displeased," he shivered. "Better put these powers to some use." He said, dark energy forming within his palms. He shot multiple orbs of the energy to the ground in front of him, where each stayed in place.

After he finished, each began to rise up, forming humanoid beings of shadow, just like the ones Graves had previously encountered in the jail. "I suppose the Master knows a good gift when he makes one!" He looked at the Shadows with a smile. "You know what you must do. Stop Mario from getting to that Mega Star. Chop-chop, now!" The Shadows made slow nodding motions before melting into the floor, disappearing from view. "Ciao, Mario. This time, your game has ended."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Mario and Graves had encountered very few enemies since the Goonie had been brought out. "Must notorious around here now," He had laughed. Mario shook his head with a smile. Graves began to laugh at his own remark as they both rounded another corner in the increasingly frustrating prison. That was when his laughter ended. "Mario…" he whispered, sounding almost frightened. "Look." Mario looked ahead, confused at what Graves was pointing out. A second later, it became clear.

Rising from the floor, three Shadows reformed after apparently dripping down from the ceiling. "Crud, not these guys again," Graves said. Mario looked at him questioningly. "When I was getting the landlubber and your brother, I had to put up with a few of these things. Gave me and Boone quite the scare when we escaped, too. But they aren't terribly hard to destroy…er, on second thought, never mind. I almost died taking the first two out." Mario slapped himself. It didn't matter though; he would take them out no matter what. Pulling out his hammer, Mario charged forward at the trio of Shadows, their eyes thankfully remaining closed. "Mario, wait!" Graves called out too late in time.

Mario came upon one of the Shadows, and swung down with his hammer. It phased right through it, not even causing a hint of damage. Mario stared in shock, running back to Graves. "I tried to warn you," he said. "These things don't take physical attacks. You have to hit them some other way. Thankfully, I know just how to do it," he grinned, pulling out two bombs. Mario grinned as well, as motioned for him to toss the bombs. The Goonie did so, hurling the two at the Shadows. They exploded directly in front of the trio, completely decimating them.

After the smoke cleared, Graves looked to see if there were any left standing. Thankfully, there weren't. "Alright!" he cheered. "Okay Mario, I'm going to rest for now. Take out William, he should do you just fine." Without another word, Graves slipped away into the Partner Place, with William Bullet immediately popping out in his place. "Graves told me EVERYTHING," he said. "Seems like a nice lil' explosion is exactly what you need for SOME of these guys. NO problem."

Deciding to not waste anymore time, Mario and William began to move more quickly through the maze-like prison, with Mario constantly checking the Navigator's map for every new change in path and William keeping an eye out for any more Shadows or other enemies.

Unfortunately for them, more and more Shadows began to appear over time. It didn't prove much of a problem for them, especially with William's explosive power, but it began to become more annoying, and took more of a toll upon them. Mario, knowing that he couldn't resort to his usually physical attacks, took an alternate approach for most battles, using some Fire Flowers that he had stocked up on back in Bullet Estates. Finally, they reached the last hallway before where the Mega Star was being held. It winded down so far that it proved difficult for them to even see the end, not helped at all due to the dim lighting. Mario looked to William and nodded before pocketing the Navigator away. They didn't need it now.

Taking one step down the hall, Mario froze as it morphed into a rather brightly lit room with a strange green background all around him and William. Dimentio's face appeared in the air in front of them, the psychotic jester laughing excitedly. "Oh, if my little toys have come back to play! But I won't bother you, not one bit! Go ahead Mario, run for the Mega Star! Run! You know you need it to save the world, just like you did before! Of course, it is all more like the last time than you realize it. Yes, the fate of all worlds! Not just yours, every world and dimension in existence, all on the line once again! So please, grab the Star. It's just down the hall," he continued laughing. "And don't worry; no tricks. But maybe a little MAGIC!" he shouted. Just then, an explosion occurred right behind Mario and William, caving in the ceiling behind them. William took off, leaving Mario in the dust. The rotund plumber sighed and ran after him, down the hall to the next Star.

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**I suppose there is not much to say about this. I had fun with this chapter, I must admit that. Dimentio is the best Mario villian of all time (well, next to Kamek). So you can expect a nice little fight next chapter. No tricks! And maybe...just maybe...a twist. I fear I have said too much already in this chapter, but so much will be revealed in the next chapter. Look forward to it! It's the fight of the century! Mario vs. Dimentio, redux!**

**Until then, see you guys! And don't forget to review (but then again, it's not mandatory. But it does make me happy. And a happy author makes a good chapter. Well, maybe that isn't true. I can make a good chapter no matter what!)**


	26. Chapter 25

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Oh my gosh. This may be the longest chapter yet for this story. And I just wrote it over the last two hours. I think this may be my favorite so far (but it's Dimentio, so what's not to like about it?) I start school in four days now. I doubt I'll have another chapter up before then, but you never know. I may throw a short update in before it starts. Enjoy this chapter, it gets crazy here. And as a warning, there are spoilers to Super Paper Mario held within this chapter. Proceed at your own risk.

**On one last note, thanks for the reviews everyone! I'm happy so many liked the last chapter!**

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Chapter 25: Death of a Fool

Mario and William burst through the doorway at the end of the metal hall. Walking in, they were greeted with a blinding light that filled the room. It was a large area filled with fluorescent lights hanging from the ceiling. Other than that, it was the same as the rest of the prison, with the most unnerving difference being the sudden peace.

"Mario," whispered William. "I don't BELIEVE that things are as good as they seem."

"Ahahahah! And you'd be right, my friend!"

"CRUD, I just had to be right." William said, flinching as Dimentio's voice echoed in the room. The walls and ceiling fell apart like they did in the hall, once more revealing an odd, green patterned look. "Seems Dimentio LIKES to play his little magic tricks on us too often, don't you agree, Mario?" Mario nodded while he nervously looked around the room, waiting for the inevitable appearance of Dimentio.

"And so, like hapless explorers caught in some kind of horrid, tribal trap, you have been defeated, Mario," Dimentio laughed, warping into the room well above their heads. "I must congratulate you Mario. Master had underestimated your stubbornness and vitality. Therefore, that's why you managed to get those three Mega Stars back. It was nothing more than an unexpected change of events." Mario watched the jester carefully as he floated to and fro in the air. He had no idea when Dimentio would attack.

"He did, however, realize that if you managed to make it to me, you would perish, as would your companions. Which, by the way, I believe they may want to see your final stand." He said, snapping his fingers. This caused every partner on Mario's team to suddenly appear from the Partner Place, each looking around bewildered. Dimentio motioned around himself. "Do you like the look, Mario? I'm sure you recognize it. Dimension D, remember? In fact, this whole prison is a supersized version of my dimension, thus allowing me complete control. And this time, I've made sure that only my power boosts."

"How's that even possible?!" cried Shelly in confusion. Dimentio merely laughed at her. "Foolish Shy Gal! Did you expect to comprehend that somehow? This is of my own genius creation, unlike anything seen before. Even if your tiny mind could understand, the knowledge would be no good for you. You would still be doomed to die." Shelly shot him a glare. She was about to say something to retaliate, but was interrupted by Dimentio.

"Ha, you all give me such a good laugh. Especially with your delusions of saving the world. Mario, I told you already that this was your last stand. And I truly mean that. So, like the final gasps of fuse upon a candle, your game ends." Dimentio cackled, summoning a strange orb of spiky energy that he launched at Mario. He jumped out of the way just in time, allowing the orb to shatter as it hit the ground. "Touché, Mario. But can you take this?" Dimentio said, disappearing, and then reappearing into four clones. "Which one is me, which one is me?" Laughed each of the Dimentios, each spiraling around like the fools they were.

"Darn it Mario, just WHAT kind of stunt is this guy pulling? I'm NOT going to take it!" William yelled, thrusting forward at full blast until he went through every Dimentio clone. They cried out in pain, but did not disappear. William landed softly by Mario. "HOW did they not dispel? I would believe that copies usually would do that…" Mario blocked out everything else the Bullet Bill had to say, instead staring in horror at the laughing jester clones. When he had fought Dimentio before, his clones would disappear automatically, and he would create a new set. Not even the Crystal King was up to this kind of magic. What was going on?

"So you've noticed my boost in power, have you Mario? I told you, this time Dimension D works all for me, and none for you. But then again, that last time was all a mock-up, as you should know. Before I had wanted you to take me out and defeat Bleck. But now…this is where the games end, and you go on to the Underwhere. But then again, I doubt your peace would last there!" The clones each threw more orbs of energy at Mario and William, the others backed as far away as possible. They didn't want to get hurt and not be of use later on.

Mario dodged them again, but William was not as lucky. He was hit head on by one of them as he tried to jet around the hail fire, but ended up with one in the face, shattering his monocle. He flew back into the wall, creating a small crater around him. He was unconscious before he even hit it. "No!" cried Shelly, rushing to him. The others ran up as well, crowding around the fallen Bullet. Shelly checked him for vitals. "He's okay. He'll live, thank goodness." Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. "He may be alive for now, but not when I'm done here!" said Dimentio. Mario shot him a glare, the killing intent visibly affecting Dimentio. "Oh…no matter. You shall fall Mario, you can count on it. Even if I have to go through each and every one of you, you will fall."

Mario pulled Duplissa out to assist him. She was visibly shaking after seeing what had happened to William, but then again, so was everyone else. Mario pointed at the Dimentio clones, to which each mockingly pointed at themselves in false fear and regret. Duplissa helped Mario get a Shooting Star ready, which Mario used immediately upon the duplicates. Falling stars appeared from nowhere, causing Duplissa to hide behind Mario in fright. The man in red only stood there defiantly, staring in hatred at Dimentio as each clone was struck by the gigantic starts that fell upon them. After they shower ended, three clones blew apart in puffs of smoke, leaving the true Dimentio floating there, slightly injured.

Before he could do anything to fight back, Duplissa took a crayon and drew an exact copy of the energy attack Dimentio had been using against them. Dimentio gaped in fear, about to negotiate until the Duplighost tossed the attack at him. The jester floated out of the way, but still managed to be hit in the foot by the attack. He screamed in agony, beginning to fall to the ground. He quickly regained his composure and flew back up to avoid impact. "You're proving to be more troublesome this time, Mario. But I'm sure that I can win with a bit of magic!" He formed two spiky orbs this time, throwing both at Mario and Duplissa, Mario jumped out of the way, but noticed that neither was going for him.

At the last second, he pushed Duplissa away, instead taking the attacks himself. He sustained a fair amount of damage from the attack, but managed to get back up okay. He grimaced, as the attacks had singed his right arm. Duplissa helped to keep him steady, but he pushed her away, assuring the young Duplighost that he would be alright. Turning back to Dimentio, Mario ran up to him, jumping up and performing a PowerBounce. He continued to hop upon Dimentio's head for five consecutive times, with the jest wincing every time he landed. After finishing, he ran back to his side of the room. Duplissa did not wait for him to give her the okay to attack. She ran forward, and blindly flew forward to headbutt Dimentio. He chuckled and moved to the side, causing her attack to miss and fall to the ground in a heap.

Dimentio heartlessly began to blast her with a strange orb of darkness, completely taking her out of the fight. When he was done, she too was unconscious. Shelly was outraged by this, and whispered to Boone an idea. The Boomerang Bro. grinned, nodding as he took off his helmet. Shelly began to run to the Duplighost at full speed, and Boone took the opportunity of a distracted Dimentio to chuck his helmet at his eyes. It struck Dimentio perfectly, giving Shelly enough time to grab Duplissa and run back to the group. She laid the Duplighost down before running out onto the battlefield next to Mario. The jester was unfazed.

"Don't you see Mario? You can bring out as many of your partners out as you have. But they'll all perish. It doesn't matter how many hits you may lay on me, I'll still win. My Master has ensured that for me. So don't hold your breath for hope. I will stand victorious upon our final confrontation." Mario shook his head, refusing to believe that. Dimentio could be beaten before, when he was supposed to be invincible. He was mortal now, and every other time he was mortal, Mario had prevailed. No matter what happened, Mario ended up on top. He would make sure this time was no different.

Shelly looked at him, revenge clearly burning in her teary eyes. "Mario, I don't care what happens. It's been an honor to fight and adventure with you all this time. And I guarantee that no matter what happens here, we'll win." Mario nodded his agreement. He pulled out his hammer and proceeded to throw it several times at Dimentio. This actually managed to put some visible damage upon him, but he still did not show any signs of faltering. Shelly shook her head in rage at this. She ran forward and grabbed Boone's helmet, throwing it once more at Dimentio, this time more forcefully than Boone had done it.

It struck him in the back of the head, causing Dimentio to keel over slightly, gasping for breath. Boone and Graves cheered her for this, and Shelly stood heroically for her accomplishment. Dimentio pulled himself together as she did this, rubbing the back of his head in frustration. "Shy Guys never learned their place. That is why I stripped most of your kind of all sense of fearlessness and maturity so many millennia ago. Unfortunately, it seems to have shown through in recent generations, like yourself and General Guy. Well, seems as if soon enough, the species will be lacking one more 'normal' Shy Guy. Ciao."

Dimentio instantly split into three, each forming a pair of spiked energy balls. They threw every single one at the unsuspecting Shy Gal, very nearly hitting her. Before they even had a chance to strike her, however, Mario jumped in front with a Block Block, the force field keeping every shot from hitting her. It promptly shattered afterwards. "Well well, Mario. Quick on your toes as always," the clones said. "Too bad you couldn't have served my Master. He may have liked you. Then again, after what you did to him…I'm sure he would be thrilled at nothing more than to kill you, and watch your body be torn apart into nothingness."

Mario ignored Dimentio's comments, instead jumping atop him once again, this time performing a MultiBounce. This unfortunately did not annihilate the clones. Mario landed gracefully upon the ground, and waited for Shelly to make her move.

The Shy Gal analyzed the situation at hand, making sure everything would work for her. She took a Fire Flower from Mario's bag, and unleashed its power upon the clones. This was enough to take them out once more, leaving the lone Dimentio to fend for himself. "Clever attacks, I shall admit. But I will not admit defeat," Dimentio huffed. He was clearly in pain. Raising both hands above him, he formed a large, distorting sphere of darkness. He grinned evilly at Mario and Shelly. "Game over." He simply said, before launching it in their direction. Boone and Graves screamed like little girls as time seemed to move slowly.

Mario ran back and out of the way before looking to see where Shelly was. The Shy Gal was still rooted to the spot, staring wide-eyes in fear at the approaching attack. Dimentio began to laugh hysterically, and Mario knew why. He had no time to save Shelly from it. Seconds later, the attack smashed into her, triggering a small explosion. Shelly was thrown up and out of the explosion, backwards to where the remaining team was. Boone and Graves stood up immediately, running around wildly trying to catch her. Thankfully, they did, but were shocked to see her charred body. "Is…is she…"

"No," Graves said quietly, interrupting Boone. "She's alive. Lucky gal, she's still alive. Must be tough as nails to have survived that. But she'll need attention. You can do that for now. I, in the meantime," He pulled out his sword. "Have a psychotic totalitarian fool that needs his bum seriously beaten." With a squawk, Graves hopped up next to Mario. "We'll get this guy for that, Mario." He said.

"You know how much I'd love to see that!" snickered Dimentio. Graves snarled at this, and began to fly up. Once he was level with Dimentio, he flew forward to the jester, and with a slash of his blade, cut across Dimentio's body. Dimentio gasped in pain, his breath caught short. Looking down, he saw a large gash across his body, rendering his body from the waist down virtually useless. "Y-you'll pay for that. I swear upon my life, you shall die!" shouted Dimentio. Graves smirked at this, rolling his eyes as he glided back down to Mario.

Mario took his cue to attack. Since it was Dimentio alone again, Mario decided to completely devastate the jester. He used a Mega Bounce, laying plenty more damage upon Dimentio.

The jester was filled with fury, and split into five clones. Each formed a pair of spiked energy balls once again, this time randomly launching them at Mario and Graves. They managed to dodge some of them, but not all. Mario took heavy damage, enough that he would start to be worried. Graves on the other hand, shook it off. "I nearly died several times from my own doing. This…this is nothing compared to that."

Dimentio would have said something in reply, but was clearly too weak to do so. The clones he had made disappeared shortly after the attack because of this. Boone watched with increasing interest. "Hey Graves," he shouted. "Get back here and take care of these guys for me."

"What? Why should I, landlubber?" Boone sighed. "Because. You know more about medical stuff than I do. All I ever dealt with was a few sprains or broken bones upon me. You've lived half as long as I have, yet you know more about this stuff than I ever will. Now get back here, and let me finish the fight." Graves did not object, obliging with the order and swapped out with Boone. The Koopa smiled at Dimentio before somehow pulling a new boomerang out from his shell. Mario looked at him in confusion. "Seems that being in a small space for a few weeks can provide you with plenty of time to make a new boomerang. Just as good as my old one, too. Now, stand back and let it work its magic."

With a grunt, Boone threw it at Dimentio. Still having enough energy, Dimentio floated out of the way of the boomerang. "Is that the best you-gah!" he yelled as the boomerang came back around, striking him in the back of the head once more. Boone expertly caught it as it returned to his hand. Mario was about to attack, but Dimentio would not hear of it. "I said you would die Mario! Now I mean it. Die!" He shouted at the top of his lungs. He threw another massive blob of darkness at Mario and Boone, directly hitting both. The explosion threw them back, but they managed to get up alright.

Mario was now within the last reaches of his health, as was Boone. As luck would have it, it seemed as if Dimentio was, too. If only he had a Mushroom or something, he could make sure things would be alright. Dimentio hovered in the air panting, but still held a menacing threat upon them. Mario took the chance to attack.

Using one more Power Bounce, Mario repeatedly struck Dimentio for seven times in a row. The jester began to fall after the attack. But before he hit the ground, he regained himself once more, rising up again. Boone glared at him hatefully, for both his inhuman resilience, and for what he had done to the rest of the team. Using the last ounces of his strength, Boone threw his boomerang with all his might. Dimentio had no chances at dodging it. The wooden object struck him in the chin, launching him back and into the ground. He didn't get up.

"Alright Mario, we did it!" cheered Boone wearily. Right after saying this, he collapsed on the ground as well, completely unconscious. Graves grabbed him, dragging him next to the others. "You go check to see if Dimentio's really down, Mario. I can deal with the landlubber and the rest by myself." Mario nodded, and slowly turned around. He limped over to Dimentio's body, and kicked it. Dimentio grunted, but began to get up.

"Very well Mario," he said. "You've won. Take the Star. No tricks. I accept my fate…" He pulled out the Mega Star from his pocket, throwing it to Mario. Mario looked at him, not trusting what was going on. Nonetheless, he took out the Star Navigator, and put the Star within it. Dimentio did nothing the whole time, instead continuing to stare and the metal flooring.

"Dimentio…you've failed me…" a raspy voice called out from nowhere.

Dimentio immediately jerked his head up in fear. "No Master, please forgive me. I know I wasn't strong enough, that's clearly evident. Please…g-give me another chance."

"I gave you another chance," the voice continued. "This was your second chance. You failed at it. I'm not one to be inclined to give third chances, Dimentio."

"B-but, p-p-please!" pleaded Dimentio, who was now visibly shaking. "Fix me up right now, and I can annihilated them right here and right now!"

"You had your shot right here and right now. And look where that went," the voice said. "No, you have failed. And the punishment, as you are familiar with-"

"Is death," finished Dimentio. "I know, Master. But please give me another chance!"

There was a pause in the reply from the disembodied voice. "No." it said, finally. Dimentio's eyes widened in shock, but he soon closed them shut in pain as he started screeching in such a way that Mario and Graves were wincing in pain.

Mario looked at him to see what was going on, and he could not believe his eyes. A purple and black spot had formed upon Dimentio's forehead, rapidly growing and consuming him. Even as it completely torn Dimentio apart, leaving nothing left, his screams of agony continued, but quickly faded into nothingness as the spot, too, faded away.

Mario breathed a sigh of relief, believing it to be over for the moment. It wasn't. Out of nowhere, black shadow particles began to filter from everywhere in Dimension D, which also faded away to the normal prison room. They grouped dead center in the room, suspended in the air. They rapidly gained mass and a definite shape, creating a rather tall, humanoid being of complete shadows. The only differences were that the hands were of some white substance, each with two fingers and a thumb. The head, too, was of the same white substance. Where the eyes would be were empty, soulless pits. Its mouth was merely three vertical slits. Once it finished forming, it looked around the room before settling upon Mario.

"Hello…Mario," it greeted in the same rasping voice from before. "I believe we've met before. Back in the times when all worlds were at stake. I doubt you would really recognize me though. Then, I really did not have a form like I do now. Back then, I was what I was."

"Well, then just who are you?" shouted Graves at the entity. It shot Graves a look of pure contempt, immediately zipping the Goonie's lips.

"I suppose, due to the fact that you defeated my servant, Dimentio, you are worthy enough to know my name. It is a name I'm sure you are quite familiar with, Mario," he laughed with a slight wheeze. "My name…is Void."

Mario looked at him oddly. It didn't exactly ring any bells. Void shook his head. "Perhaps this will refresh your memory. The Dark Prognosticus. The Dimensional Void that would consume every world in existence. I am…The Dark Prognosticus. I am…The Dimensional Void. I am those incarnated into a living, breathing entity. And now…I have come to finish the job that Dimentio had started for me. Even he had no idea that I could be created when he came up with the Dark Prognosticus. Foolish of him, really."

Mario asked him why he decided to show his face now. Void laughed again. "Because Mario, I wanted to congratulate you on a job well done. I do hope I get to fight you one day, but I shall do everything in my power to kill you before then. Count on it," he said, beginning to think for a moment. "And I suppose, as a parting gift, I'll heal your comrades. They have fought well. I do hope I can enjoy killing each of them one by one eventually. That would be a wonderful start to total annihilation." he said. With a flick of his wrists, a magical aura surrounded every one of Mario's partners, healing them instantly. They each woke with a start, and ran up to Mario. However, an invisible barrier prevented them from getting too close.

"Hey, let us through!" Shelly demanded. Void shook his head. "Temper, temper. You need to control your emotions more, I tell you. But you can see your friend just fine for now. You can at least say goodbye to him."

Shelly looked at him inquisitively. "Say goodbye? What for?"

"For his trip!" Void cackled. He pointed to the floor beneath Mario, which instantly disappeared into a bottomless pit. Mario began screaming as he fell to his doom, with each of his partners screaming in shock at the scene before them. Void began to wheeze as he laughed again, warping out of the prison and to areas unknown. The barrier disappeared with him, allowing Mario's teammates to come rushing to the edge of the circular pit. "MARIO?" shouted William.

"No…he's gone…" mumbled Shelly. She sat down, putting her face into her hands, and began to cry.

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**PLOT TWIST. Oh-ho, bet no one saw this coming! That's right, this has now officially become a successor to Super Paper Mario. I told ya, this got crazy. Next chapter, we'll see where everything goes from here. We'll be getting quite a few point-of-views from people in the next one. Until then, see ya!  
(And don't forget to review...if you want to)**


	27. Chapter 26

**So yeah...I just wrote this up over the last two hours. Just a quickie, you know? Not sure if I liked this much or not. Sorry that it's so short!**

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Chapter 26: Secret Agent Mole!

Mario woke up quite unpleasantly. His entire body felt broken, in fact…he couldn't even move. Then again, that probably had to do with the fact that he was fastened securely to a stretcher. Upon closer inspection of his surroundings, he noted that he was in a room carved out into a cave with multiple advanced technologies lining the wall. He tried to wriggle out of the strapping, but to no avail.

"Ah, you've awoken." Mario perked his head up when he heard the voice. A Monty Mole walked casually into the room and grabbed a cardiogram sheet that had been printed from one of the machines. "Your vitals are normal. Of course, not surprising since I am dealing with the one and only Mario," he said. This time Mario took noticed that the Mole seemed to be speaking with a slight accent…one he wasn't well acquainted with **(AN: BRITISH)**. He was also wearing tuxedo for one reason or another. Mario was about to ask a bunch of questions, but the Mole continued. "If you were wondering why you're here, it's only because I found you at the brink of death. I have no idea why you are here of all places. Miles beneath the ground, in case you were wondering."

Mario took a moment to take in everything he had just been told. Somehow, he survived the fall through the ground after Void magically made the hole appear. And now he was in the care of some strange Monty Mole that had access to all of this technology. Plus, the Mole was apparently down here alone for some reason. After he got all of this down, Mario began to tell the Monty Mole about what had happened, with the mission for the Mega Stars, the battle with Dimentio and the appearance of Void. Monty Mole listened with intense interest. "So…you were taken by surprise by your enemy? Humph, how fitting. The same has happened to me only…my partner, my…friend, is my enemy. That is why I am down here. You see, I've been down here for some time now. My partner stole an object of unimaginable power from our organization and…er, here. Perhaps if you were out of the restraints, you'd be better off. Let me help you-" the Monty Mole said as he took off the leather belt restraints.

Mario sat up uneasily. He was still feeling a few aches and pains from the battle. The Monty Mole pulled out a Mushroom and gave it to Mario, who promptly ate it. "That was lying beside you when I found you. I presumed it had fallen from your pocket or something. Now old boy, let me tell you more of why I'm here. You see, I'm something of a secret agent," he chuckled softly. "Well, not so much a secret now, is it? Anyways, my partner stole something from our headquarters and ran off down here with it. His motives? We are not sure. All we do know is that he was hired, and whatever reasons he did so were…undesirable to the greater good. So I was sent in pursuit of him. And so far…nothing. I can tell he is definitely around here but…that's about it."

Mario listened to the Monty Mole's tale eagerly. He wanted to help but…the rest of the world was in danger. He looked to the Monty Mole's solemn face. This was another chance to help someone, just like so many times before. He was sure that this couldn't take too long. Besides, he'd get it done and find a way back up. For all he knew, his partners could be going after the next Star without him. He had already taken note that the Star Navigator was missing from his pocket. That meant that Shelly or Graves must have taken it, or it fell out when he was fighting.

The red plumber nodded to the Monty Mole. "Y-you'll help me? Alright, this should be a bloody good time!" he said, grabbing Mario's arm and shaking it vigorously. "And about my name. My, ahem, codename. You may refer to me as Python.

**Congratulations! You have banded together with the secretive Monty Mole known only as "Python." With his natural digging abilities, enemies won't know what hit them. He can dig underneath them and pull them under, trapping them and preventing them from attacking. He can also help dig holes to pass thin, impassable walls.**

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

"So what do we do now?" Boone asked. The five of them were all still in the same spot, all in a circle a few feet from the pitfall. They had lost track of time long ago. None of them refused to go anywhere until a plan of action could be made. Unfortunately, such a decision could not be made. Shelly still teared up intermittently, only making matters even more stressful. Shelly was supposed to be a voice of reason, and here she was, completely broken.

"Er, Shelly listen," Graves said, trying to comfort the Shy Gal. "You did your best. We all did our best. Not like we could have predicted the whole "Void comes and probably kills Mario" thing. But I like to think that our friend is alive. Mostly because I know he's gone through much worse. His brother Luigi told me so many stories of his brother's adventures whenever I sailed back into Toad Town. He's alright."

This seemed to calm Shelly down. "I-I'm sorry guys," she sniffled. "It's j-just that…Mario was our leader here. He was strong and g-got us through so many times. And now we failed him. I-I don't think t-that I can live with myself if he's dead."

"Aw, JEEZ Shelly. Mario is A-OKAY. ALL of us can tell. We can just FEEL it within our hearts." William shouted. Shelly wiped away the last of her tears. "Okay, okay. I'm good. I'm sorry for that everyone," she apologized. Mutterings of "it's okay" and "no problem" resonated from the other four. "But…now I'm good. And I think we've wasted enough time dilly-dallying here," she said, her confidence growing stronger. "Yeah, we need to get a plan, and now!"

"Yeah!"

"Okay, and I think I've got one!" She said, jumping to her feet. As she did so, the octagonal Star Navigator dropped out from her pocket. "What? Why is that here?" she asked herself.

The fact that the Navigator was with them and not with Mario was not unnoticed by the others. "Hey Shelly, didn't Mario have that with him?" asked Duplissa.

"Yeah, I could have sworn he did." Agreed Boone. Shelly shook her head in confusion. "I…I don't really know. I mean, I know he put it away before we fought. And I never took it," she turned to Graves. "Graves, it never fell from Mario at all during the fight, did it? I mean, you were the only one to be conscious the entire time…"

"Sorry," the Goonie shrugged. "I can't explain that either. I never saw it leave his pocket during the fight, or even afterwards."

"So I guess that leaves us with two options then," Shelly said. "One, we leave Mario for now, knowing that he's more than likely okay, and we go off and get the next Star using the Navigator." A murmur of disagreement rose as she said this. "Or two, we can forget about the next Star for the moment, and we go down and grab Mario. Then we find a way back up and get the Star. Either way, we risk something bad happening. So what should we go with? All in favor of the first idea?"

No hands were raised. Shelly nodded, knowing full well that this was the outcome from the start. "Okay, so all in favor of the second idea?" Every hand shot up, including her own. "Well then, we're going rock climbing, then spelunking. Perfect." The Shy Gal leaned down to pick up the Star Navigator. Just before she could manage to do so, the holo map suddenly activated. "What?" But before any of them knew what was going on, the map went into a 3-D projection, showing their location, with the pit going well below what it showed. Suddenly it began to move straight down, following the hole for hundreds of feet, then miles down until it opened into a network of caves. The map resumed an overhead, two-dimensional view from there, showing the Mega Star in a far corner of the cave system.

Each one of the five partners could not believe their eyes. First of all, the Navigator pulled another interesting trick in activating itself. That wasn't natural. And now…they find out the Star is closer than they thought. "Well okay then!" Shelly grinned. "Looks like we're going to get to kill two birds with one stone here! Off we go!" she yelled, pocketing the Navigator and running to the edge of the gap. "Come on everyone, we got a plumber to save and a Mega Star to find! No time to lose!" With that, she crawled over the edge and began to scramble down the vertical face.

The other four looked at each other, then at the spot where Shelly had been moments ago. "Well…you heard the lass!" Graves yelled. "We have a mission to fulfill, now let's go!" He took off, diving down the dark abyss of the hole. William followed closely behind him, jetting down as fast as possible, leaving a red-hot light behind him. "Hey, wait up for me you two!" Shelly laughed. Boone and Duplissa were the last to go, both shrugging before going down the hole themselves. The Duplighost followed Graves' and William's examples and used her lightweight body to float lazily down, while Boone had to resort to climbing down, albeit at a much quicker pace than Shelly could manage.

"Oh come on guys! Wait for me!" Shelly complained as Boone caught up with her. Even in the laughter and silliness, each knew in the back of their head how serious things had become since Dimentio's death. The fate of the world…and it depended upon them, and if they would remain successful with these last three Stars…

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"Honey, I'm home!" Dimentio hollered as he walked before Queen Jaydes. Several Ghost Guys and Chain Chomps accompanied him in as an extra security caution. Even in death, you had no idea what to expect from the Master of Dimensions.

"Dimentio, what a surprise," Jaydes said in a bored tone. "You were long overdue, you scoundrel. Your game was supposed to have ended over a year ago, and you cheated. No one cheats with retribution to pay."

"Oh, I would have imagined that you would have been happier to see me," Dimentio said in mock sadness. "Besides, every magician must have a few extra tricks up his sleeve." He laughed.

Jaydes began to smile as well. "Yes, but your tricks have run stale, I'm afraid. And here in the Underwhere, they are useless. I do hope you come to loathe your game over, because I have made sure that it will be nothing short of torture beyond torture. You shall beg for nothing more than eternal peace, and even then it shall never come. Only worse pain."

"And am I to believe that? Please Jaydes, you were always such a laugh. You could never really be taken seriously before, so why now?"

"Because now, you've earned it." The Underwhere Queen snarled. The next thing Dimentio knew, he was in a pitch black chamber. A single torch light came on, but that did not provide much for him anyways. All he could tell was what sounded to be something's ragged breaths. Or rather, _three_ things' ragged breaths.

"Enjoy, Dimentio. Game over's were always supposed to be a riot, were they not? And now, you are the main attraction!" Jaydes' voice echoed throughout the blackened chamber. Dimentio nervously looked all around him for the source of the noise, but it only seemed to echo. "Hello? Friend?"

In a split second, any smiles Dimentio could have had vanished. The UnderChomp lunged out from the darkness, its three multicolored heads snapping at Dimentio, each attempted to tear him limb from limb. The Red one managed to grab him and immediately began to chew upon the jester. Fortunately (actually, unfortunately) Dimentio was unaffected. He could feel the pain of the bites, but he could not be torn apart, eaten, or die. 'Not that that wasn't expected,' he thought.

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"Bleh-heh-heh-heh-heh. Timpani, my love…Dimentio has finally earned what he has deserved for so very long. Jaydes has just informed me that he has finally been taken to his eternal punishment…the UnderChomp's chew toy."

"Don't you think that that may be overdoing it?"

"Timpani…he nearly destroyed all worlds-"

"Mostly thanks to you."

"Er, yes. But nonetheless, it was all of his doing from the start. And now…he is gone. Thank you, Grambi, for informing me."

The Overthere ruler smiled from under his elongated beard. "You are very welcome...Blumiere. I do hope you enjoy your game over with your wife."

"Yes, I am sure we will. Thank you so much for overlooking my wrongdoings. I never really meant for it to ever happen."

Grambi nodded in understanding. "Yes Blumiere, I know. You are forgiven, as Jaydes let you knew. Do not trouble yourself with your past. Now…be happy. You have your love at your side forever, without anything to ever come between the two of you again."

"…Thank you." Blumiere whispered.

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"Bleck…You are dead, just like my minion," Void rasped. He was alone in what was formerly the dimension of Castle Bleck. "Excellent…exactly according to plan…"

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**Meh, the last two parts I felt were necessary. See you guys next time.**


	28. Chapter 27

**Terribly sorry for not updating. Junior year has started out hectic. Seriously, with Cross Country practice and then homework, I don't have time to do stuff until 9, then that gives me...what, an hour? Even then, I may not be able to get to the computer. Couple that with the fact that I was having trouble thinking of what to write for this chapter, and you can see where I'm coming from. Nonetheless, school started well. Except for that my Consumer Economics teacher speaks to us in a condescending manner, and that my Algebra 2 class is full of kids who came from the lowest math classes from last year, while I came from a higher up one. Lame.  
Enough of my problems. Please enjoy this chapter, despite it's shortness.**

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Chapter 27: Wonderful Spelunking

"Well then, let's get going," Python said to Mario. Mario had gotten a bit more used to the surroundings of the cave networks, and thankfully was fully healed and ready to go. Python had grabbed several pieces of high tech detection equipment from his small base of operations. "To help us in finding the object. These things can lock on to the signature of the object, and will no doubt lead us to my…former partner." Mario nodded, and they began to set off into the dark cave network. Python had replaced his pair of sunglasses for a set of night vision goggles at the moment. "Let's move out! Quietly though…" The Monty Mole directed, immediately running out into the darkness.

Mario ran after him, unfortunate to have not been befitted with the same technology that Python had. Instead, the plumber had to follow after the mole by trusting his hearing, following the beeps and grunts of the mole. A few seconds more of blindly running and he ran into the back of Python, falling with a grunt. "Shhh…I almost forgot about this," Python said. Now that Mario was by him, he could make out a bit more with the lights emanating from the equipment Python carried. The Monty Mole pulled out a small cylinder with a grin. "I can't believe I forgot this. A good agent always leaves his base without a trace. And I happen to know the best way to get it done." He said, pressing down on the button.

Mario immediately ducked for cover as the explosion behind him echoed fiercely through the cavern. Light from the blast temporarily lit up the cavern as bright as day, something Mario had not seen in so long, thus hurting his eyes. All he could tell from then on was that Python was laughing hysterically beside him as the light quickly dimmed and gave back in to darkness. "Sorry about that chap. But I must follow protocol. HQ would never allow me to see the end of it if I didn't. Now let's continue."

Making sure he was closer by to the mole, Mario found it much easier to navigate the cave system. They came upon a few Dark Goombas and Dark Koopas for some reason, but they were made short work by Python. Once again, the darkness proved to be an inhibitor for Mario, so the Monty Mole just dug underneath them and pulled them underground.

They continued moving along; following the electronic beeps that came from a watch Python wore. This was perhaps the only way they actually knew the direction they were going in. At some point in time, Python shrieked in alarm at something in their path, which turned out to be two Swoopers that flew down from the ceiling. Mario tried to stop the mole, but the total darkness inhibited him from doing so. Instead, he could only begin to act when he heard a crashing sound as the Monty Mole ran into a rock wall nearby. Mario ran in the direction of the noise, and was surprised to see a faint glow from the equipment that was scattered all around Python.

As it turned out, Python had broken most of the equipment beyond repair when he ran into the wall, blindly going around and ignoring what he saw in his night-vision goggles. "Eh, a bit of help please, Mario?" Python grunted as he attempted to shake off the equipment from his body. Mario walked over and helped him to pull the bits of metal scraps off, allowing the Monty Mole to stand up. "Definitely not something I intend to do again. But look at this," he said motioning to the mess around them. "HQ will have my hide for this. Thousands of coins worth of technology and it breaks right here. Looks as if we'll have to follow base instincts to find our way through this place. That is, unless…blast, it seems not so." Python said as he looked down at his detector watch just in case it may still be functioning. Unfortunately, it was not. "So then, which way should we go? The light we have here is dying, and we may as well be lost. Why did I not think of this possibility before?" the mole berated himself, beginning to knock his forehead with a fist in frustration. Mario was about to try and cheer his partner up when a reddish glow lit up a passage a bit ahead of them. Both turned to the source of light and ran to see what caused it.

Upon reaching the corridor, they found not just one lit torch on the wall, but several of them lining the wall every ten or so feet, brightly lighting up the way. Python looked to Mario, uncertainty playing upon his face. "Astounding. As much as I would say we should take this way, a part of me believes that something could go quite wrong if we went this way. But we may find our partner. But he may want that. Grr…decisions can be tough to make, right Mario? Mario?" Python looked up from his mumblings to see the red plumber already making his way down the lit path. "Alright then. We take the mystery path!" Python said, running as best as he could to catch up.

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"Graves, you there?" Shelly called out as she continued to scale down the vertical wall of the hole. It had been hours since they started, and the darkness had quickly consumed them. The only light came from when William made occasional pass-throughs as he flew up and down the hole again and again, keeping within a close distance to the others. The Shy Gal received a squawk in reply from the Goonie pirate, whom she could only assume to be about the same level as her. "Whatcha need?" he called out in reply. Shelly sighed as she took a moment to stop. "Could you carry me the rest of the way down? Climbing gets a lot more tiring than it looks. And I think Boone wants a lift as well. Right Boone?"

"You kidding? I could go another day like this!" The Boomerang Bro. called out from the darkness. Shelly gritted her teeth and removed a small rock from the wall in front of her; throwing it in the direction she had heard Boone's voice. "Ouch! What was that?" he cried out as the rock hit him in the back of his head. Even with a helmet, he still felt the resounding effects of the hit. It took him a second to understand exactly what had happened, but he gave his answer quickly. "Er, I mean yeah! I'm wiped out, there's no lie to that! I need a lift the rest of the way down…"

In a split second, the cheerful hooting and hollering of William was heard as the Bullet Bill plowed his way upwards from the darkness once again, taking each of them by surprise. Perhaps Boone even more than the others, since the speeding Bullet came up underneath him, taking him along for the ride. "WAAHHHH! Definitely not what I had in mind!" Boone screamed as the two of them blasted upwards. A few moments later, they came back down through the others.

"Alright, now I'll do it," Graves said. "But don't mess my flight up!" he warned, softly gliding over to where he could hear the grunts of Shelly as she scrambled down. The Shy Gal tentatively grabbed on to his small body, making sure she wasn't at all about to fall off. "Hang on, or Davy Jones'll be seeing you quite soon!" Graves laughed, tucking his wings in and diving in after William and Boone. Duplissa had been quiet the entire time, but knew exactly what to do, following right behind Graves and Shelly as they dropped down to the cave system.

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"Land ho!" Graves cried out as he and Shelly began to make a soft landing at the bottom of the pit. William and Boone were already waiting for them, and Duplissa was still right behind the two of them. After touching down, Graves began to stretch out for a moment after having to carry Shelly down the rest of the way. "I'm never giving anyone a free ride again. It's hard enough to fly myself. Having to carry someone? That's guaranteed suicide!"

"Hey, no one gives a care Graves," Shelly remarked. She began to look around the general area, but was unsurprised to find that it was no more than a normal cave with the rocks surrounding all around them. She looked up and spotted the hole from which they came from. "Well, at least we know where we need to go if we need to leave. Just look for the hole in the roof. And for the rest, it's normal. Just a plain old cave, complete with generic lit torches and…wait, what? Torches?"

Sure enough, the entire cave was ablaze with light from multiple torches placed all around the walls. None of them had actually paid any notice when they were coming down, but seeing it all of a sudden seemed odd. "Obviously someone has been here before us, and probably taken Mario with them," Graves observed. "Otherwise, that plumber would be still lying here after his fall. Even if we woke up, I doubt he'd be in any condition to get moving anywhere. Now just where he could have been taken, that is the question."

"WELL, there's only way to find out, isn't there?" William asked sarcastically. "We GET lookin'!" Everyone began to mumble in agreement, but Shelly spoke up in objection. "Wait a minute. We can't just go off and look for Mario. We have no idea where he could have gone. Plus, we may just get lost. And then we'd die down here. If not resorting to cannibalism first."

Graves scurried back a few feet after hearing this. "My great grandpappy always told me of his infamous voyage. An absolutely massive Cheep-Cheep, bigger than any to have swam the seven seas, had annihilated his boat and supplies. The tales he told me of how they tried to survive until they found help…they gave me nightmares. Not something for a five-year-old to ever want to hear, much less anyone else."

Duplissa gasped in alarm. "I don't want to be eaten! Or have to eat anyone for that matter!" She sat in a little ball as she tried to pull herself together. Shelly smacked herself on the forehead. "NO! I wasn't being serious! No one will eat anyone else! No one is going to die! All we have to do is stick together and find our way around. We'll find Mario, we'll find the Star, and we'll get out of here. It's as simple as that." She said finally.

"Yeah, uh, can I add something to that?" asked Boone. Shelly shot him a look. "What could you want to add?"

"I don't know. How about something to do with that?" He pointed off behind him to where one entrance to the cave network went. A cloud of dust was beginning to pool out from it, until a giant mole came out, waddling at full speed. All five of them stared at it, completely terrified as it ran in their direction. Two more of the monsters came out from behind it, further enhancing the terror of the scene.

"Mega Moles!" Shelly screamed. "Everyone, move! We got to get moving!" She didn't even begin to wait for the other four, instead immediately taking off towards the closest hallway to her. "Wait for us!" Boone cried, screaming like a little girl as he and the others ran after Shelly, and away from the Mega Moles that were nearly upon them. "This is just like the Whacka family!" he yelled.

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**So, was it decent? Hopefully, the next one will be better. I don't know, these past two I'm kind of iffy on right now. Review if you want, and I'll see you guys next time!**


	29. Chapter 28

**Okay, I am terribly sorry for the lack of updates. It's been...almost a month? Jeez, this stinks. I've had little to no time for writing, and when I do, it's all a jumbled mess. School is messing with my head! I've seriously only had Sundays to write for the past month, and even then, only for something like 2 or 3 hours at night. That's near nothing for how I'm writing at the moment. I'm hoping that things should be smoother in the coming weeks since what has mainly prevented me from writing so much was: Cross Country.**

**Speaking of the subject, it is almost over. A week and a half left, then it's districts, then I'm done. And then I'm going to train like nuts during the winter so that come Track I can actually do well. And then get on varsity next year in cross country. By the way, I managed 18:54 in a three mile yesterday. I've been so happy!  
Ahem, without further interuption, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!**

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Chapter 28: Fiends that Dig

"Run faster!" screamed Shelly to the other four people running behind her. William rocketed past her, speed clearly on his advantage. Boone, Duplissa, and Graves were at a disadvantage, even when Graves could fly. The Mega Moles behind them showed no signs of relenting their chase, but Shelly and the others showed no signs of quitting running either.

"We've got to stop sooner or later!" yelled Boone. He was actually quite thankful that he was as fast as he was at the moment, since he had still yet to replace his old oversized boomerang. Should he have had it with him, he would have surely perished already. "Or it could've taken these guys out." He added. "Wait," he yelled. "Why haven't we tried to attack these things yet?"

"Probably because if we were to stop, we'd be crushed!" answered Graves. "But I could try something!" he added, pulling a spare bomb out. "Hey! Catch, ya blind fools!" He threw the bomb square between the eyes of the front Mega Mole, catching it totally by surprise. The titanic mole stopped suddenly in order to rub the scorched spot where the bomb hit. The two moles behind it stopped as well, but Shelly and the others didn't. "Turn this corner here and maybe we can confuse them!" she suggested, taking the right in the cave to hide. The others followed her example and tried to hide down the hallway.

Running in, there seemed to be four extra directions to for them to go on down. "Let's take this ONE!" said William. "I wouldn't think that THOSE moles would see us in here if they came by." One by one they ran on into the huge corridor, hiding along the edge against the direction from which the moles would come from should they come down that way.

"I'm scared," whimpered Duplissa. "I don't want giant moles to eat me!"

"Er, they won't eat you!" Shelly whispered, trying to calm the frightened girl down. "Maybe they will just stomp on you first to make sure you're dead. Then perhaps sacrifice your remains to some mole god or something. If at least I can take a possibility from the books I've read-"

"N-not h-helping." She stuttered. She was about to burst into tears when the entire cave began to shake with dust beginning to fall all around them. "Ah! Quiet everyone; they're coming down this way!" Shelly commanded. Everyone stopped all noise and movement and tried to make themselves as small as possible to avoid detection from the Mega Moles. Sure enough, the three giants waddled down the hall, but without peeking into any of the rooms. Instead, they took one at random that was ahead of them and went on down.

Each of the five waited until the rumbling stopped before they would dare even breathe again. "Whew!" sighed Boone. "If that wasn't close, I don't know what is. Even with some crazy wild animals I encountered, never were they this nuts."

"Thanks for your life's adventures once again Boone," Shelly said dryly. "Now be quiet. We need to find a way around here. Mario is our top priority, and then we can go find the Star."

"Mario?" a new voice asked. "That's the bad man who hit me!"

"That…that wasn't you, was it Graves?" Shelly asked with a hint of fear in her voice. Graves shook his head. "Er, then…who was it? Boone?"

"Y-you might want to ask him!" Boone squeaked, backing up to the main hallway once more. The others looked back to where he had been staring. A Whacka was poking up from the ground, his left eye twitching erratically as he began to shudder.

Shelly's eyes grew wide in sudden realization upon seeing the Whacka. "Oh…oh jeez guys, we…we've got to go." She said as she too began to back up.

"HEH? WHY would we do that? It's a nice LITTLE Whacka!" argued William. He looked back to the Whacka once more, this time seeing two more Whackas only slightly protruding from the ground behind him. Two more massive Whackas. "Oh, I see what YOU mean," he said. "Heh, HEH…Run!" He yelled, blasting off down one of the other hallways. Boone took off with him, and Duplissa was not far behind. Shelly was about to follow when she saw that Graves was still standing there, actually preparing to fight the three Whackas.

"Avast ye scurvy dogs! Come at me, I'll take you all on!" Graves threatened as he waved his sword wildly at the Whacka family. This only caused them to become even angrier, as now the two massive Whackas began to rise up from the ground, shaking the cave all around them. "You fool; you'll get yourself killed if you don't kill everyone else first!" Shelly screamed at him. She ran up and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and ran. Graves was still swinging his sword, demanding the Shy Gal to let him go and find. "I'll let you fight. I'll definitely let you fight, when I'm not around! AND, when it's something that won't flat-out kill you! Now stop arguing, put your sword away, and fly so I can stop dragging you!"

Graves didn't have to be told twice to follow orders from the angry Shy Gal. He tucked his sword away and fly off just as the walls behind them collapsed, unleashing the gigantic, irate Whackas to chase them.

"Where's Mario? We just want to disembowel him! That's all!" cried out the little Whacka who stayed just barely ahead of his roaring parents. Shelly screamed, using the threat of death to motivate her to move even faster. Graves was already ahead of her and catching up with William, who was in front. Duplissa and Boone were barely ahead of her, the former allowing tears to flow freely in fear. Boone was just screaming like a girl.

"Hey, Duplissa!" Shelly yelled. "What?" the Duplighost sobbed out as she continued running. "Okay, first: get a grip! And second, I need you to prepare an illusion. I need you to create a steel wall or something that covers the enter width and height of a part of this cave here. It should stop these things in their tracks…at least for a bit. Can you do that?"

The Duplighost continued to sob a bit, but Shelly could see her begin to nod a bit. "O-okay. I can d-do it." She yelled back. Shelly nodded. "Good. Now I want you to do it after you round this corner up here," She instructed, pointing the path ahead as it veered sharply to the right. "You hear me? As soon as I go through, do it!"

William and Graves went on ahead, continuing to speed ahead of everyone else. Boone came after them, leaving just Duplissa and Shelly to pull up the rear. "Alright, Duplissa? Get ready to set the illusion…now!" She yelled as she took the turn. The Duplighost came to a screeching halt and flipped around. Her face showed nothing short of pure determination. "Come and get us!" she yelled as she put out both "hands" and created an illusory steel wall that could have been easily several feet thick.

"Nice job, Duplissa!" Shelly cheered. The Duplighost weakly turned to face her friend, smiling ever so slightly. "…Thanks…" she said feebly. "…I think that took a lot out of me. I've…never use my new ability that strongly before…"

"Yes, but you've shown that now you can do it," Shelly pointed out. Duplissa nodded in agreement. Boone and the others had come back to their teammates for the moment of peace that they had. "How long will that keep them until they figure things out?" Boone asked. Duplissa looked back to her handiwork. "I…I don't really know. Perhaps a few minutes. It is a solid illusion, so they can't just ram through it…I think."

"Well I would LIKE to say that we should probably get moving now," William said. "If we wait around too long, WE may be on a mad dash like we've been on twice today. I don't BELIEVE that that is what we really want to happen." A murmur of agreement sounded amongst them. "OKAY then, it's settled. I would think that we should PROBABLY still move quickly. We don't know that THEY won't catch up and take us by surprise."

"William's right," Shelly said. "We need to get going. Besides, the sooner we find Mario, the better. And then we can get the Star. After that, we can get out of this madhouse."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

The group of five moved quickly among the caves, searching every which way for their missing plumber. The torchlight helped greatly to improve their visibility, but they were still having little luck in finding Mario. "Wouldn't that Navigator have an idea on where Mario was? The little thing has already pulled two miracles on us, can't it pull another?" Boone asked. Shelly pulled the device out as she continued to run, inspecting it closely. She turned the map on, and all that showed up was the location of the Star. From where they were, it was still a ways away. "No. Nothing about Mario. Just the Star, that's it."

"Give me that! You have to try harder!" he argued, running up and snatching the thing out of Shelly's hands. "I don't believe that's a good idea…"

"Quiet, you know nothing about this!"

"And yet, neither do you. I would bet you know much less about technology than anyone else here."

"Oh yeah? We'll just watch as I figure out how to locate Mario right…now!" Boone said, slapping the side of the Star Navigator. The domed top began to shine brightly, causing everyone to stop and watch what would happen next. "I've done it, see!" Boone shouted triumphantly. A second later, the Navigator fired a laser from the dome straight into Boone's face, effectively scorching it.

"Yep, you definitely did it," Shelly sarcastically said. She walked over and took the Navigator back from Boone, pocketing it away before anything else could happen. "I-I almost had it," coughed Boone. A puff of smoke exhaled from his mouth as he spoke. "If you let me try one more time, maybe I could just-"

"Mommy! Daddy! There they are again!" Whacka shouted from the ceiling. Everyone looked up to see the blue mole-thing hanging upside-down from the rock above. His parents erupted from the floor behind them, both unleashing earsplitting roars that seemed to echo forever in the caverns.

"Oh crud! We have to get moving everyone!" Shelly panicked. They all began to run in the opposite direction of the Whackas. Ahead, the path had an extension that veered off to the left. "Don't take the left! It'll slow us all down!" Shelly shouted to everyone. "We have to keep going forward, that way we can buy some time to move ahead of them. If we turned, we'd probably be caught!"

"Or eaten by something else!" Graves yelled back. It didn't take long to figure out why he said that. Just as they were passing the left corridor, the three Mega Moles from earlier ran out to try and catch them. The nearly blind giants did not see the Whackas in time, and promptly collided. The adult Whackas were even more infuriated by this than any rage directed towards Mario, and thus turned their attention to the three Mega Moles.

"That's right, get 'em Mom and Dad!" the little Whacka cheered from a safe distance back. The Whackas proceeded to tear into the Mega Moles in a bloodthirsty rage, but the moles would not go down so easily. Using their greater numbers to assist them, they teamed up against the Whackas by flinging one of their own on top of the two Whackas to distract them. The other two moles ran up immediately after their comrade and began to pummel the Whackas.

As the scene unfolded, Shelly and the others watched in a mix of fear and anxiety. "I believe…that maybe, just maybe…we should be getting out of here." Shelly said as she turned and ran away. "H-hey, what are you doing?!" cried Boone. "You can't just ditch us here with these beasts killing each other! Can't you wait for all of us?" He yelled at the Shy Gal as he and the others ran off to catch up with her, and to avoid becoming the focus of attention of the Whackas and Mega Moles once again.

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Deep within the recesses of the cave system, a lone Undergrunt Gunner mole sat in near-complete darkness. The only light was a soft glow from several television screens set in an array in front of him that lit up his blue spiked helmet. His eyes intently watched the screens as they brought him live feeds of what occurred in several areas throughout the caverns. On the centermost one, he watched with interest as Shelly, Boone, William, Duplissa, and Graves scampered along the corridors in their search for Mario. Two other screens held scenes of further interest to him, one being the fight between the Whackas and Mega Moles while the other was of Mario and Python.

"Ha, so this is how everything has ended up, has it? Python has enlisted the help of the famous Mario? What, was working alone too much for him? Pathetic. I'm glad I left him and the organization. They only held me back," he said to no one in particular. "And it seems that my agents were outsmarted once again. Er-unintentionally, that is. Sad that what the best money can buy is not even remotely close to being the best. Oh well, it should not be a matter. I didn't expect them to hold off either of these troops of fools. I could tell they would have taken those moles out sooner or later. Besides, even if they managed to somehow find me, they would never be able to take the prize that is mine. It shall remain mine…no matter what must happen." He said ominously, turning around in his chair and looking into the darkness. With what little light could be used, a slight outline of a massive frame was made visible.

"Yes…even if it means my own death…my prize shall remain mine."

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**Good? Bad? Yeah, I don't know. I kinda liked this chapter, even though to me it seemed annoying to write. I don't know, I don't think I'm really liking how this part in the story is turning out. I think we'll just speed it up and get to the boss fight in the next two chapters. Then we can get moving to a duo whom we have not heard from since Dimentio's death. And then...a nice change for the last Star. And after all is said and done, the final battle. I cannot wait to get to those parts, my mind is absolutely abuzz with ideas for them. But not here. Annoying how that works, isn't it?**


	30. Chapter 29

**It has been practically a month since I updated. A month. Jeez, I can't believe that. The next chapter should come VERY easily though. I'm really sorry guys, I just couldn't get any ideas for this. Please enjoy the lacklusterness that is this chapter. It will get better though, I promise.  
And this is a thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story. I have over a hundred now, and I don't know about anyone else, but I consider that an accomplishment, especially because I thought this wasn't going to be a very good story. Thanks again everyone!**

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Chapter 29: A Long-Awaited Reunion

"Tallyho Mario!" Python encouraged. "We must find that treasure and get it back from my partner before he can do anything with it! And that includes killing us!"

Mario moped along, not at all enjoying where his current journey was taking him. He had no idea how much time he'd been underground, but he was sure days had passed. It's not like he would have known though, being underground at the moment and whatnot.

"I must admit Mario, travelling with your assistance has been the greatest thing to happen in my life. I have never felt more excited to be on a mission of life and death, but that is only because I now know that I have your level of expertise on my side. You know that back in my early days in the organization…"

At this point, Mario began to lose interest in what Python had to say. He had to admit, the Monty Mole was not easy to listen to for long periods of time. Unfortunately, that's all they had at the moment, just a long time of nothing in these dreadful caverns. Another thing Mario noticed that he found excessively annoying. The cave seemed to go on forever, and it seemed that at this rate they would be lucky to manage to get anywhere that they needed to.

"And that day was when I…wait, what's that?" Python pointed off into the distance of their current hallway. A small cloud of dust was being kicked up from what looked to be a branching path. "Let's have a look! I'm curious to find out what's causing that!"

The duo ran as fast as they could, but at the same time tried to remain quiet in case what they found was dangerous. It was.

"Go Mommy! Go Daddy! Yeah, tear those moles apart!" shrieked the Whacka as he watched his monstrous parents snarl, bite, and claw three Mega Moles.

"Eh? What's that little bugger doing? Those two monstrosities his parents? What hideous little buggers they are." Python commented. Mario turned to him in terror, waving his arms in a panic to get the Monty Mole to stop. "What is it Mario? Something the matter?"

"Mario?" The Whacka stopped his chants as he repeated what he said. "Did you just say Mario?" He asked, turning to look where Python and Mario were currently standing. Mario shouted in fright and ran off down the corridor he and Python were already going down. "What? Wait chap! What are you running off for?" Python shouted as he took off after the plumber.

The Whacka shrieked in fury and barked an unintelligible order to his parents over the ruckus of their fight. They immediately stopped what they were doing and snarled in acknowledgement to their son. They burrowed into the ground in a huge cloud of dust as their son laughed maniacally. He looked at the three broken bodies of the Mega Moles with little remorse. "Fools." He muttered before he followed after his parents.

* * *

"Are we close to finding Mario yet?" Boone whined for the umpteenth time. And he wasn't the only one. Everyone was groaning and complaining their impatience to Shelly, the only one who wasn't having a problem. She clutched her head in exasperation. "Can you all please find something else to complain about? Especially to each other, not to me."

"But you're the only one who would give a good answer," Boone reasoned. "Besides, what else could we talk about? The cave?"

"Good point," Shelly said. She sighed and looked behind her to everyone. William chugged along at a slow pace with a sullen expression, and the about same could be said about the others. Shelly pulled out the Star Navigator reluctantly. "Fine, I'll side with you guys. Let's see if we can find out where Mario is right now." She said as she clicked on the map. Like before, the dome shined and projected an overview layout of the cave system, highlighting their little group. The Star shone off about a mile or so away, much closer than before. Even more shocking, they found Mario appear again on the map. Only difference was, he was short distance behind them.

"Hey guys," Shelly said as her heart began to race with excitement. "I think…I think that, Mario is…behind us."

"What? Are you serious?" Graves asked incredulously. Everyone turned around only too happy to know that the Man in Red was finally coming back. "I think I see him! He's coming up fast!" Duplissa said to everyone. And she was right. It was in fact Mario, followed by a Monty Mole for some reason. Both of them seemed scared out of their minds as they charged on through their group.

"Er…Mario?" Shelly asked as he ran through without any acknowledgements to them. "What's wrong?" But she didn't have to wait long for an answer. The cave began to rumble, and they all looked to where Mario and the Monty Mole came from fearfully. A ways back they could see the ground surge upwards in twin humps, signifying only one thing. "CRUD. Let's MOVE everyone; we've got Whackas coming our way!" William yelled over the growing volume of the rumble.

The roars of the Whackas were practically deafening before the five partners even began to run from harm's way. And even that was an understatement. Despite their fatigue, they all ran as fast as they could (or in Graves' and William's position, flew). Unfortunately, they were unable to get very much further from the Whackas, or any closer to Mario.

After at least several miles of keeping this up down a completely straight corridor, they began to slow, and the Whackas could be heard coming closer. "I don't think that we'll make it!" Graves yelled. "That's not good encouragement you twit!" Shelly screamed back to him. They all tried their hardest to keep away from the monstrous Whackas that quickly encroached upon them.

* * *

The Undergrunt Mole watched with bated breath as he saw the scene unfold. The five different people were about to become snacks for some horrific Whackas. And he was enjoying every second of it. "Alas, I cannot have such a messy thing occur in here. Sure, they practically mutilated those three Mega Moles I hired, but…this is different. They seem to know the Mario. Interesting, that must mean they're down here with him. They must have split up to cover more ground, and now that they're so close…but how did they know? How?"

Seeing that the Whackas were only meters away from the five, he chuckled. "I do believe I'll enjoy this scene even more." He pressed a button on the console situated in front of him.

* * *

"We're going to be chewed up in a matter of seconds!" Graves announced to everyone, causing Duplissa to burst into tears. "Not helping!" Shelly yelled at him. Just before all hope seemed lost to them, a metallic sliding sound followed by a heavy clang echoed through the cave, replacing what had been snarls and roars. They all looked to see what had happened, and were shocked to see a massive steel wall behind them with slight dents from where the Whackas had made impact.

"Someone…er, Duplissa. You go and check. You can draw stuff, so go do that!" Boone shoved the little Duplighost forward. She stared pleadingly at Shelly, but the Shy Gal nervously looked away. Taking a deep breath in, Duplissa walked steadily to the massive wall. She took out a crayon and, with an extremely shaky hand, drew a small rectangular peephole to see the other side. Looking through it, she gasped.

"What? What do you see?"

"The Whackas, they're…unconscious. And the little Whacka is in a fit of mixed emotions at the moment."

This sent a cheer among them all, glad that they finally didn't have to deal with any other issues for the time being. "Now let's go get Mario, everyone!" Shelly cheered, and they all took slow steps on their way.

* * *

It wasn't long before the noise from the wall reached Mario and Python. "Stop Mario, did you hear that?!" Python asked excitedly as he came to a sudden halt. "It sounded liked something big ran into a metal wall or something. I would even bet that it was those Whacka buggers of yours!" Mario smiled, and then promptly collapsed onto the ground. Python cocked his head to the side and look over the plumber. "You going to be okay, chap? I would guess you're still not in the best condition after that fall of yours. No problem, that's understandable," he said as he began to look around their present location.

"Okay, so from what I can tell, the object must be close. I can feel its presence." Mario looked at him questioningly, and he laughed. "Sorry 'bout that. You see, all the time working in the organization with that thing nearby gave us all a kind of connection, so that we could always feel it whenever it was near. And we overshot where we needed to go by at least a mile. Let's go on back and then we can make our way to our goal."

Surprisingly, they were met by a group of five coming from the opposite direction. "Say Mario, didn't we run past these chaps a while ago? I would have thought they'd been eaten."

This only caused him to receive a glare from the five of them. Mario however had the largest grin on his face. "Hey Mario, glad to see us or what?" Shelly asked sarcastically. The other laughed at this, leaving only Python out on this. "Er, Mario? Who might these five be? They seem to know you."

"Of course we know him; we've been travelling with him for the past few months to save the world!" Shelly said matter-of-factly. Python stared at Mario, wanting to say something, but now words could come.

"You…they…and I…er, these were your partners, Mario? This ragtag group of misfits?"

"Hey! I'll have yer head fer that comment!" Graves threatened, wing ready at his sword.

Mario sighed and began to explain everything to both Python and his five partners. After a few minutes of explanation, all Mario got was a murmur of voices. "So, that's how everything has come to like this? All a twist of fate? Well, that's actually stupendous!" Python concluded! "Imagine, help from these five, each of their own ways and ideas! I would have never thought of such before, but now, as I see it before my eyes; I realize that this could do it for us! This could save us the day and get the treasured object!"

"TREASURED object? What kind of treasure are WE talkin' about here?" William asked. In reply, Python shrugged. "To be truthful, even I am not totally sure. Its light was always far too intense, even with standard issue glasses like mine. No one could ever get a definite shape on it.

Shelly's interest was piqued by this, and she pried even further. "It wouldn't happen to be this way, would you know?" She asked pointing down the short corridor that they had all met at. Python nodded slowly.

"Hey Mario, I think we have a match then," Shelly said, pulling out the Star Navigator, which turned on as she did so. "Er, don't ask why it works for me. But look at this: the Star is supposed to be down this hallway too. So I have a hunch that his precious object is our Star."

"And you'd be correct," Another British voice said from nowhere. Everyone looked this way and that for the source, only to see a screen come down from the ceiling. On it was a Monty Mole, or at least a sub-type of one. To be more specific, it was an Undergrunt Gunner. He was sitting with his hands clasped in his lap. "Good evening everyone. Well, let's presume it's evening," he added quickly. "I'm so glad you could all make it to the ceremony. That is, where I active my doomsday device and begin my invasion of the Old Mushroom Kingdom and take it by storm. Of course, I will go with cliché and whatnot and begin with you all. Please do come down, I would love to meet you all face to face." He began laughing maniacally as the screen slid back up into the cave ceiling from where it came.

"For once, something is telling me that going down there isn't a wise idea…" Boone began, but was interrupted by a maddened Python.

"Are you mad? Of course it's a wise idea! He is about to lay siege upon the surface, and we must act to prevent him from his dastardly plot! And away for the freedom of the world!" He said as he charged down the hallway, letting no one else stop him.

Shelly took this moment to walk up next to Mario to talk. She shook her head with a slight smile before sighing. "Mario," she said. "You sure do know how to get the nutcases to join your cause, you know that?"

* * *

**So what comes next you ask? Isn't it obvious, we've got a boss fight! It should be a welcome relief to the boredom and monotony of the past few chapters.**


	31. Chapter 30

**Here's a nice treat for you guys: this chapter is longer than the last few mediocrities. I was able to get thinking on this one pretty quickly, so this was rather fun to write. Enjoy everyone!**

* * *

Chapter 30: Drill Assault

"Stop right there, evil-doer!" Python cried as he jumped into the room with a dramatic pose, finger pointed into the darkness. Everyone else walked cautiously in, afraid that it was a trap. Which more than likely, it was.

Python looked back in alarm at everyone as they came in. "You bloody fools! You've got to make a dramatic entrance! It doesn't work otherwise! You have to make the enemy tremble beneath your feet!"

"Okay, once this is all done and over with, we are so going to beat some sense into him," Shelly whispered to Graves and Boone. Her only reply was a pair of anxious goofy grins.

"So where…where is he?" Duplissa timidly asked to no one in particular. Python looked around the room nervously, trying to make out anything in the darkness. "Er…well, I dunno. That bugger should be here, I mean he just spoke to us."

"But that could have been in his little 'doomsday device,' and he could be on his way up to the surface as we speak." Shelly pointed out. The Monty Mole frowned. "I didn't think of that. Yes, he definitely could have done that."

"And yet I'm right here!" A voice cackled from the darkness. The sound of gears clanking and whirring echoed throughout, combined with the growl of an engine. Everyone huddled closely together, fearing for an attack from any side. "My bad, let me turn on a light for you all. That way, you may see your destruction face to face!" The voice chuckled for a second before a click was heard, illuminating the room.

"…dear me." Said Python as his jaw dropped in awe. Standing before them was a large purple mech of sorts, only with drills on the hands and the feet. There were also two large ones placed on the front and back, each of them spinning wildly as the giant tank-like robot spread its arms in boldness. It had a blocky build to it with treads and a domed top, where it was noticed their adversary was positioned.

"My dear guests, allow me to introduce you to my pet project. No, it does not have a name either. Ay, if it had a bloody name, it would have sounded like a wuss. But no, not this. Therefore, it shall remain nameless. Not that it will matter, because soon you will all be dead. Dead! DEAD! And because I'm so very evil-"

"-Cut the chit-chat, will ya?" Shelly yelled at the mole. His sunglasses squinted and he grabbed the controls in the cockpit. "Very well. You shall all die now, under the DRILL!" He proclaimed, positioning the mech into a dramatic pose, drills whirring.

Mario stepped forward, battle-ready, and Python rushed to his side. "We shall handle this expertly and efficiently, shall we not?" He asked Mario.

Mario pulled out his hammer, deciding it best to test out what worked against this behemoth and what didn't. He tossed the hammer with all his might, resulting in it slamming against the translucent dome of the robot. This caused the Undergrunt Gunner mole inside to start a frenzied tantrum, his robot doing the same.

"Hey, no cheap shots! Those are for twits and ninnies, and this is a gentleman's brawl!" He cried.

"You've got to be kidding me," Shelly said. "A 'gentleman's brawl?' What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that we aren't allowed to fight." Python replied back to her, gritting his teeth. "If he wants that kind of a fight, he'll get no such thing. I'll help out here in a sec." He shook out his tuxedo and brandished his clawed hands. "Attacking from below. My specialty in the organization."

"Shocker." Shelly said sarcastically. Python laughed for a moment and adjusted his glasses. "I'll take that as a compliment of sorts. Well now, tallyho!" He said as he rapidly dug into the ground, dirt flying all over the place.

"My friend, you underestimate me. Did you not notice my drills? Did you?" He smirked as he caused the tank mech to raise a drill arm up. "Die, you miserable old coot!" He thrusted the drill downwards into the ground, causing chunks of earth to be thrust up in the process.

"Haha! See what I meant? This is why I left that blasted organization! You are mindless fools, and none of you understood what progress could do. This is what true progress leads to!" He shot the drills from the hands of the mech at Mario and the others. They smashed into the ground at their feet, sending dust and rocks into the air as well as launching most of them back.

"This is HARDLY what I would call a gentleman's brawl!" William screamed in protest as he tried to outmaneuver the chunks of earth that were sent his way. Duplissa, Mario, and Shelly weren't as lucky, as they were sent tumbling back, and in Duplissa's case, covered in rock.

Mario turned his attention from the fight at hand to help get the Duplighost girl out before anything worse could happen to her, but Shelly pushed him back. "No! You kill this insensitive freak, and we'll get her out. William!"

"On IT!" The Bullet Bill spiraled into the rocks, exploding the rock and partially uncovering the Duplighost. Shelly took a quick look at her and shook her head. "She's unconscious. I don't think she'll be fighting here. Crud," She scrambled out of the small crater William had made previously. "Let's go again William. And careful, I don't want her to die in friendly fire!"

Confident in the abilities of his partners, Mario turned back to meet the drill mech, seeing that it had somehow regained drills in the hands. Python had apparently made it out of the attacks quite okay, as he was attempting to sabotage the treads on the bottom by gnawing them with his teeth. "Smart thinking, right Mario? This'll take the bugger out in no time."

Meanwhile, the mole in the cockpit was livid at the actions of his former partner. "If I could make this thing jump, you would have been roadkill in seconds. But I've got a good solution here!" He aimed the arms at the sides of the treads and fired. Python scurried off as fast as he could, avoiding the massive drills by seconds.

"Mario, I need you to attack the dome! It's the best shot we've got!" Python screamed to the plumber over the whirring shots of drills that were fired round after round at him. Mario nodded and prepped himself for a jump. Springing as high as he could muster, he landed square on the top of the cockpit with a Power Bounce, managing a few devastating jumps on top of the mech before leaping off. Sparks blew off of it and a stream of smoke began to visibly flow from the back of it.

The Monty Mole insides was going absolutely nuts. "What is wrong with you? If I were you parent and told you not to touch the big shiny robot, you would have not touched. And what is this? You've gone and started damaging my doomsday device, you twit! Do you realize what will happen if you destroy it? I won't succeed, and I'll probably die! That's horrible!"

As he went on, Boone muttered his own remarks about the mole. "You know, what's horrible is how hard it is for me to be taking this guy seriously now. He seemed frightening at first, but now…no, just no. This is like a joke." He lifted a large rock from the rubble covering Duplissa and tossed it aside.

Python made another move to underground, only to be stopped dead in his tracks this time by the one of the arms, effectively smashing him into the ground.

"That'll teach you to mess with my genius. Now, for the rest of you," he said positioning the mech to the others. "I've about had it with you all. Now git, all of you! Or must I truly unleash the full power of my device?" William hovered up next to Mario, readying himself for battle. "Shelly told me that I should be able to ASSIST, as they have the situation mostly under control now. He motioned back to the others, who were now pulling out Duplissa from the rubbles. "Not to worry, THOUGH. She'll be just mighty FINE when this is done."

"You're going to try that on me? Really? Why won't you all give up now? You can't stop me from succeeding, nor can you take my treasure from me! Now get a taste of full power!" The mech revved the treads at an insanely fast pace, the drills following suit. After a moment's time, it charged forward at an unavoidable speed and trashing its drills all over the place.

"Mario! William!" Shelly cried out as they were plowed over by the robot and flattened into the ground. The Undergrunt inside began to laugh at this and slowly backed up, making sure that they were ground under.

"Er…Shelly?" Boone nervously asked the Shy Gal. Her eyes were twitching and her fists were clenched tightly. Combined with her smile, it was easy to say that she was about to lose it. "Shelly, you do know that they're probably okay, right? I mean, they dealt with Dimentio, and this guy…well, he's a joke compared to him. We just need to pull them out, that's all. You do understand…Shelly?"

"I'm fine," she said calmly, almost eerily so. "You're right Boone, they're probably alright. But nonetheless, we've lost half of us already. And I don't know about you, but that seriously is starting to get me mad. I am definitely not having my game end here, I'll tell you that. So, if you excuse me, that creep is going to DIE!" She ran at the giant robot with her fists flailing every which way.

"Hey, wait Shelly! You're suicidal!" Boone called after her, trying to get her to stop. As the Shy Gal ran, she picked up a comically large boulder from the ground and threw it at the domed top of the mech.

The Monty Mole inside could only watch in half amusement, half fear. "I knew that I should have invested in at least a caged covering for this." He mused before the boulder smashed the cockpit, the force of the impact knocking the mech back and off balance.

"Take that biscuit-eater!" Shelly taunted to the fallen mech, which had smoke now billowing in never-ending torrents from every joint and crevice, as well as showers sparks shooting off every few seconds. Boone and Graves could only stare in shock. "Remind me…remind me never, NEVER, get on that girl's nerves again." Graves said. Boone could only nod in agreement.

A groan caught their attention as they saw Mario pulling himself out of the ditch that he was ground into. "Mario! You're okay!" Boone cheered. Mario grinned and gave him a thumbs up before dropping to the ground. Shelly and Boone rushed up to him while Graves continued to tend to Duplissa. "Here Mario, eat this." Shelly handed him a Super Shroom, which he gratefully accepted. "Before you ask, we just defeated that guy. All it took was a boulder to the head of the thing and down it went."

"And when she says boulder, she means a massive piece of rock that the proportion would be compared to an ant carrying a leaf. But yeah, she did take him down. A little too easy if you ask me, but I'm not one to judge."

"Maybe this will up the difficulty then?" The Mole's voice echoed. The three of them looked in disbelief at the fallen mech, watching as it began to shift and come apart before their very eyes. When it was done, three vehicles were left where the mech used to be. It was obvious that the arms became small train-like things with drills in the front, while the rest had shifted to look more like a tank. "No way. He cannot be serious with this." Shelly shook her head.

"Oh, I'm afraid that I'm dead serious now, milady. You see, I had envisioned a possible situation such as this arising. And I thought ahead. And now, voila! The pinnacle of my engineering!"

"Mario, I'm not too sure about this. I mean, I'm practically useless as it is, without my boomerang that is," Boone said. "And with Python, William, and Duplissa, perhaps our best bets at taking this guy out…I don't even know. Shelly, do you have a plan?"

The Shy Gal began to nod as a little grin spread on her face. "Yeah. Yeah, I do have a plan."

"Let's hurry up here, slimy gits! I have a schedule for destroying the world…after some repairs, of course!" The Undergrunt yelled from his position on the other side of the room. Shelly glared and turned back to finish her plan. "Anyways, here's how we'll do it…"

"Are you quite finished yet?" The Mole asked them as they split off, Boone taking a few feeble steps forward. "What's with you? Scared out of your blooming mind, I take it? Well, let me give you even greater reason!" All three former parts of the mech began to charge forward at a remarkable speed. Boone turned tail and ran as fast as he could, screaming like a little girl at the same time. "Get on back here! I'm going to go and smash that little shell of yours into millions of pieces!"

Boone continued running and screaming, leading the frustrated Monty Mole every this way and that. "I'm only going to chop your head off! Is it really that bad?"

Mario, Shelly, and Graves had been careful to pull as far back to the way as they could in order to avoid the attack. Unable to get Python or William out of the craters in the ground, they hoped for the best. "Okay, are you ready Mario? Remember, the two little ones are more than likely still controlled by him, since they move in perfect sync with the main tank. So you'll just need your hammer, and I-" She hefted up a decently sized boulder from nearby. "Will throw this. With any luck, we'll knock him out, or blow that thing to kingdom come. Now go!"

Mario waited for a perfect moment to strike. He saw the three vehicles start to come by once more, and he decided then to make his move. Running as quickly as he could, as to not miss his shot, he managed to jump on to one of the little trains. He climbed out quickly and wobbled on the top of it as the train continued plowing around after Boone. "Mario, hurry up! I can't hold this boulder much longer!" he heard Shelly scream just barely above the roar of the train. He timed his jump just right in order to get on to the main tank.

"Eh? What are you doing here? Git, come on get offa here!" The Monty Mole growled, attempting to swat Mario away from the cockpit. This proved difficult for him, as he needed to keep looking out where he was going. "For the last time, I will say it. Get off, bugger!" Mario smirked at the Mole's feeble attempts to remove him, and he raised his hammer. "H-hey, what do you think you're going to do with that? You better not-" Too late. Mario smashed his hammer down upon the control console, sending off sparks and smoke everywhere as the three vehicles began to lose control.

"Look what you've done! You can't expect that'll stop me though! Because I still have this!" He pulled out a small remote with button on it. "This'll detonate my machine, which by the way holds exactly what you're looking for. The Mega Star! Ha, you don't think I don't know what's going on here? It powers this device at its very core! Bowser is the reason I was able to get it, after all. He lent me his army, and we overran the place. It was easy to procure, and I'm not going to lose it! If I cannot have it, then you definitely cannot!"

"And that's according to your twisted views. To us, however," Shelly screamed and threw the rock she had been holding. It came directly at the main of the three former mech parts. Mario jumped off right on time, kicking up dust as he rolled to the ground. The Mole inside the tank could only watch in amusement. "Bring it." He said. As soon as the boulder crushed him, destroying the tank in the process, a massive explosion annihilated whatever was left of the three mech parts.

"The Star!" Shelly cried out. Mario looked back to the smoking wreckage, fearing the worst. The smoke was far too thick to truly see what was left, if there was anything there anymore. "Mario, if that Star was destroyed…" The plumber nodded. They wouldn't be able to save the world. It would fall to darkness. And Void…it was left to the imagination what that monstrosity would do. But, deep in his mind, Mario had the feeling that the Star was still intact. There was no possible way that it was gone. He had seen stars go through plenty of punishment before, so why would this one be any different?

"Mario, I think I be seeing something!" Graves called out to him. Sure enough, as the smoke thinned, a golden light began to shine from the pit of the crater where the main tank had stood. It was only a minute later that the form of the Mega Star could be seen. Mario and Shelly ran into the smoke to get at the Mega Star. Shelly tossed him the Star Navigator, and he opened the box. The Star shined for a moment more before shrinking and disappearing into the box. The star icon on it glowed as the map of the Old Mushroom Kingdom was projected. The Star they had just grabbed dissolved, and the next one appeared only slightly north of Koopolis. A fortress appeared with what seemed to be multiple robotic sentries marching all around.

"What is that? It looks like a regular castle or something. Just with a little more modernization to it." Shelly commented. Mario stared at it before pocketing it away. He nodded to Shelly, and they both climbed out of the crater to help their fallen comrades. "So where are we headed now? Hopefully onto the sea or something. Anywhere but underground like this!" Graves shouted to them.

"Definitely out of here. There's some castle we've got to get to. Just north of Koopolis."

Graves took that without any further questions and then returned to tending to Duplissa. Mario went around looking for William and Python, wherever they may have been at this point. As it turned out, Boone was already dragging out the Monty Mole from a deep impression in the ground. "Got this dude! Any clue where William is?" Mario shook his head and returned to searching. At one particular impression, Mario managed to find the Bullet Bill buried completely into the ground, the reflection of light on his body being the only thing to point him out. Mario approached cautiously, hoping that the Bullet Bill would be alright. Pulling on his metal body, it rolled out easily from its place in the ground. His monocle was gone, the pieces shattered and spread in the hole. The same could be said for his hat, flattened to a pancake in the ground.

Mario was about to heft up William onto his back to get him out of there, when the Bullet's eyes snapped open and he blasted up and around the room.

"That was the rowdiest thing I've done in my life! I have now lived I tell ya!" He shouted. Mario smiled, glad that he was okay.

* * *

"Okay, so we've got everyone here and two of us are unconscious at the moment," Shelly motioned to Duplissa and Python for example. "Add to the fact that we're miles underground, and what do we've got?"

"A…problem?" Boone asked unsurely. Shelly snapped her fingers. "Exactly! So just how do we get out of here? Any clues?"

"Well actually, I was thinking…"

"Forget it!" Shelly interrupted him. She rubbed her hands together with a shifty look on her face. "I've got just the idea. I'll need Graves to go up there," She pointed to a windowed control room that was far up in one of the walls of the cave. "And then he can open that steel gate for us. And then…I'll just need some minor assistance in speaking to the Whackas. No doubt the parents are still knocked out after the hit they took. So, gentlemen, if you please…"

* * *

**One step closer to the finding Void. That now leaves...two Mega Stars left. I'm sure that the next one is obvious who we're dealing with, but the one after is, well, different. Another OC, and I cannot wait to write that part. See you all next time!**


	32. Chapter 31

**Hello once again everyone. Had a few problems with the computer and some other school things, but here's the next chapter. We'll get things moving along this break, so I'm hoping that maybe I can get two more chapters by Monday.**

**And for everyone in America, Happy Thanksgiving!**

* * *

Chapter 31: A Gift of War

Shelly, Boone, and Mario stood at the steel wall that had saved them from the Whackas only hours earlier. Now, that same wall was being lowered into the ground so that Shelly could initiate her plan.

The small Whacka was tending to his parents' unconscious bodies when he saw the three of them walk up to him. He growled and rushed forward, recklessly swinging his paws at Mario and doing nothing in the process. Boone walked behind the little blue mole and pulled him back so that he would pay attention to them. "Alright you little baby, listen up!" Boone barked at the Whacka, instantly grabbing his full concentration. "We're willing to make peace with you, but only if you cooperate. We're not in the mood or condition to fight, so we'll make this quick."

"When your parents wake up, which shouldn't be too long now, we need their assistance," Shelly explained. "We have no way to get back up to the surface, and you three are our best bets at doing so. If you do, Mario will never smack you with a hammer, isn't that right?" Mario silently made a crossing motion over his heart and put out a hand of reassurance. "There you have it. Now will you actually help us out?"

The Whacka crossed his arms and leaned back, looking at each of them suspiciously. "Yea-no. I doubt that Mr. Meany there will ever stop. He's done it countless times before and almost another time a month ago! Like I'll fall for your tricks!"

Boone grinned and pulled out something he had hidden behind his back. As it turns out, it was a new boomerang. Only this one was jagged and rather deadly looking, apparently made from the scraps of the DrillMech. The purple metal shined brightly in the lit-up hallways, and the little Whacka looked back in fear. Boone brought the metal boomerang down upon the Whacka's head, causing the poor little mole to wobble in disorientation afterwards. A large bump formed and popped off of his head. "Okay, wait a sec-" Boone brought the scrap metal down on his head again. "Now if you'll just-" Smack! Again. "If you'll please let me-" And again. "Oh come on! Just stop it already!"

Boone was about to bring his new boomerang down again, but Shelly yelled at him. "Alright Boone, he gets the idea!" Boone put away the deathtrap away reluctantly, taking one last look at the purple shine, despite it being mostly marred by smoke and scrapes. The Whacka was clutching his head in pain and a small pile of Whacka Bumps had formed in front of him. "Fine, I'll help you guys. Just as long as THAT does not happen again," He pointed to Boone with fury, then to Mario. "Then I'll be okay with this. If, however, one of you guys hits me again, I will have my parents tear you apart. Trust me; you do not want to see the sorry state we left those Mega Moles in.

"I can imagine." Shelly shifted her eyes in disgust. "So it's now a deal? As soon as they wake up, you'll have them help get us out of here?"

"Yeah, yeah. Just give it some time."

* * *

"I NEED to get this kind of speed on my train!" William shouted to the others over the deafening roar of the parent Whackas as they tunneled upwards through the earth at ludicrous speeds. Everyone had woken up and was currently holding onto the two Whackas for dear life, including Duplissa and Python.

"How much longer until we get to the surface?" Boone randomly called out, only to be quieted by a clod of dirt that hit his face. Sputtering, he wiped it off with one hand, being cautious not to let go. "So, I'm sorry. When do we get to the surface?"

"Now!" Whacka yelled to everyone before a rush of air greeted them. The parent Whackas had burst from the ground, in the middle of Koopolis no less. Koopas, Goombas, and all sorts of others kinds of inhabitants were running away in frenzied panics, each screaming at the top of their lungs. The Whackas were all grins as they watched everyone run and stumble upon each other in their desperate attempts to hide. Everyone slid off of their backs and onto solid ground once again. Looking around, Mario noticed something even worse off with the world than when they had left it.

Grabbing everyone's attention, he pointed up to the sky and showed everyone what was wrong. Shelly was squinting at the dark sky as she tried to figure out what exactly was making Mario so worried. The sky looked about the same as it did before, with the Sun darkened so much, only that…

"Oh my gosh! You're right Mario, it's become even darker!" She exclaimed. Everyone gasped at the realization and immediately took notice that indeed, it had become even darker than before. The Whacka came from around his parents after hearing this and shrugged before crossing his arms. "Eh, whatever. It's not like it at all matters in the long run. Now, when we're talking present circumstances, then we get into a much more important subject. My pay."

"What are you TALKING about?" William laughed. He was far different now, looking like nothing more than an average Bullet Bill without his hat, monocle, or cane. "Shelly told us you had agreed to have YOUR parents give us a ride up. There was never any discussion about PAYING you."

"There was never discussion about not paying me. Now come on, or do I have to have them actually eat you guys?"

Shelly cracked her knuckles. "You can go and get this you little worm!" She ripped the blue mole from the ground, and as he struggled by kicking with his tiny feet, the Shy Gal threw him halfway across the city. His parents roared in fear and went after him, plowing through countless skyscrapers in the process, further causing the citizens of Koopolis to run away in a panic.

"That takes care of that problem." She patted her hands together to get the dirt off. "So, now what? Do we just go off now and get to the next Star, especially with this apparent urgency…"

"Or, we can go and find our missing comrades!" Python weakly mentioned.

Looking around, Shelly noticed that Boone, William, and Graves had run off to who knows where. "Great, just great," She slapped her forehead and pulled her hand down in aggravation. "Now we have to find those three nutjobs in this nutty place of a city. Any ideas Mario?"

Mario put a hand to his chin in a thinking gesture. "Well?" Shelly impatiently asked him. Mario snapped his fingers in a kind of "Eureka!" moment, and explained his hunch to the other three.

"Of course. Where else would those stooges be?" Shelly shook her head and began to walk down the road. "Well, let's get moving then. It'll probably take a bit before we can find our way around again, and then we'll need to get all the way out there." Duplissa began slowly following the Shy Gal, leaving Mario to heft up Python and drag the disoriented mole around.

* * *

"Three cheers fer beers!" Graves squawked at the top of his lungs as he clanked a glass mug with two others held by William and Boone, both equally drunk as the pirate. They were joined by the other occupants of the bar and inn that they had been visiting each time they had been through Koopolis. Drinking their current rounds empty, the three of them dizzily tossed the mugs back, shattering them all around. Joining arms, they began an extremely off-key song of random lyrics and sounds that sounded more like a screech than anything else. The bartender had long since retreated behind the bar in fear of anything being flung his way. The other occupants of the bar began cheering and chiming in on the songs as best as they could.

All of this was witnessed by Mario and the other three as they walked in completely wide-eyed. Except for Python. He was completely knocked out.

"What in the Mushroom Kingdom is going on in-woah!" Shelly ducked to the ground just in time to avoid a wayward mug that shattered on the door behind her. "Let's just get them." She stormed towards the crowds, dragging Duplissa unwillingly with her. Mario just sighed, knowing he could do nothing to stop the Shy Gal unless he was willing to end his game right then and there. He slowly walked to an open booth and plopped Python down. Taking a seat right next to him, the plumber watched the scene unfold in front of him.

"Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of Sleepy Sheep!" Graves shouted before toppling over Boone, resulting in the both of them crashing to the ground. William, who at this point had somehow obtained a new hat, cane, and monocle, began laughing hysterically at the scene. This prompted further laughter from the rest of the people in the bar, each of them completely red in the face.

"Oh come on you three! Get a hold of yourselves!" Shelly jumped on the heads of several people before landing atop the table where Boone and the other two had situated themselves. She ignored William, who began flying above everyone in circles, instead dropping down for Boone and Graves. The two of them stopped laughing for only a second just to look Death right in the face – or pretty close to it at least.

"Retreat, matey!" Graves cried in a futile attempt to scramble away and through the crowds with Boone. Shelly landed right on top of the Goonie, causing him to cough in pain and try to reach of his sword. Shelly stomped on his wing and grabbed the sword instead. Meanwhile, Duplissa had been sitting on the table as she watched in a mixture of horror and interest. Boone tried to scuttle through as well, but Shelly stabbed Graves' sword in the floor in front of his face. With a small "meep" the Boomerang Bro. crawled back to the Shy Gal to face his doom.

Shelly stepped off of Graves and grabbed him by the throat along with Boone. "Hey Shelly. Funny thing really, we magically were transported here in seconds. It was like one of those "wormholes" or something." Boone choked out as he tried to come up with some kind of an excuse to avoid Shelly's wrath.

"Scatterbrains!" Shelly clunked their heads together, giving rise to several whoops and cheers from their audience. William had stopped flying and situated himself next to Duplissa while Mario had his face in his hands in embarrassment. "Don't go running off like that, especially in this city of all places!"

"In our defense, Dimentio is dead." Graves smiled. Some scattered cheers came along with his statement. Shelly, though, was still not amused. So she clunked their heads together once again. "Ow, really lass? You can't go that hard on an ol' pirate."

"You're like, twenty-something!"

"It's old for a Goonie."

"No it's not! Ninety is old for a Goonie. Jeez, ninety is old for anyone! Now stop changing the subject and start helping us get ready for that castle!" Shelly twisted around and flung Boone and Graves across the room and all the way to the booth where Mario was, where proceeded to collapse in a heap in the table.

"And now down to business," Shelly adjusted her face mask and hopped onto the table. She left the same way as she came, by jumping on everyone's head. Duplissa followed after her. William shrugged and swung his cane around in one last sign of enjoyment to the people before he, too, flew over to join the team.

Mario greeted the Bullet Bill openly and began to explain the situation of what was next once more with everyone. He wasn't even halfway through before he remembered that Python was still out cold. William grinned and thwacked the end of his cane against the Monty Mole's skull, instantly causing him to shoot up. "No, not a herring!" He cried out, slapping his arms wildly at the air in front of him. After a few moments he stopped and looked around, realizing that he was awake. "Oh, er…don't mind me. Now, what is going on right now?"

Mario sighed and repeated what he had already said before. A murmur of discussion about the next castle and the Star within it began, along with debates about what they'd have to be up against.

"It'll be a psychopath!" Boone shouted. Graves rolled his eyes and argued against him. "No way. Dimentio was psychopath enough, don't you think? It'll mess with the plot to have multiple psychos. We'll start seeming repetitive, like those caves we were just in."

Mario got up and left them alone, instead grabbing a seat at one of the barstools. He was greeted by the bartender, who was currently sweeping several shards of glass from behind the bar itself. "Hullo sir. I was beginning to wonder if you'd be able to get alone from them for a moment." Mario cocked his head to the side.

The bartender Toad continued. "I can assume that you are the Mario, am I right? Good. Now, I must tell you that you have a package. Anonymously sent to you, boxed, and it seemed important. At least that's what the Paratroopa acted like when he handed it to me. Now, I would have given it to you when you where with your…friends…but I feared it would cause even more ruckus. I can't deal with any more after what happened just a bit ago. So, here." He reached under the bar and moved a few boxes around before he grabbed something. "Aha, here we are."

The Toad handed Mario a tiny box, no bigger than his hand. "I don't know what on earth this thingy is, but hey, it ain't my business. This place is my business. And speakin' of that, you might want to calm you friends down," He gestured over to where the six of them were, with Shelly currently bashing Boone and Graves together once more. "I'll give you guys free boarding for up to a week for now. But after that, you're all out of here if you haven't already left. I won't be so kindly next time."

Mario thanked him and went to tell the good news to his partners. He pocketed the little box away and met up with them.

"Free boarding? Are you serious?" Python asked incredulously. "Never have had that kind of benefit. The organization was a bunch of cheapskates, so I always paid with my salary."

"I get first dibs, SLOWPOKES!" William laughed. In the blink of an eye, the Bullet Bill was already upstairs. Everyone else looked at each other for one second before it became a mad dash for the good beds. Mario followed them slowly, taking the box out for a moment to examine it. He'd have to have a look once everyone was asleep.

* * *

Kammy was pleased with herself. After having a success with the previous week's "Kick Kamek Day," she was currently concocting a new plan of action to torture her Magikoopa rival. As she hummed merrily to herself, she failed to notice the purple mass following her from the ceiling.

"_Yesssss. You shall be first," _A voice quietly wheezed. _"Just a little closer before I can and…I have you."_ The blob sprung from the ceiling and spread out like a blanket. It enveloped the elderly Magikoopa with little protest.

"_Continue serving Bowser. He will lead you well. His plans are flawless, no matter what anyone says. If he were to ask of your power…you will give it to him. Without questions."_ The prostrate form of Kammy only nodded ever so slightly in the dreary halls of Bowser's Castle. The blob removed itself from Kammy and disappeared into the shadows. Kammy shook her head and got up. 'Now what was I?...Oh yes, Kamek. What to do about Kamek…'

* * *

Kamek was busy at work in his private quarters. He loved having special favor with Lord Bowser, and one such advantage was being able to have whatever you wanted done to be done. Including your own spire that stretched above most of the rest of the castle. He had been hard at work on several new spells of his, one of which he had learned days before, and had proven far more valuable than he could have ever hoped. It was a barrier around his room, basically preventing anyone from entering with his consent. Including those blasted Toadies. "Now for this next one…a mutation spell. Hmm…I may want to keep that in mind for Kammy. Then again, it's not like it would do anything more to that old hag." Laughing at his little joke, the Magikoopa went back to his books.

Outside of his room, the black blob reformed and began approaching his room. Just before it could slip through the door, it was blocked by an invisible force.

"_What is this? A barrier? That Magikoopa couldn't have known. Could he?"_ The blob, defeated, slid away into the cracks in the walls and disappeared from sight once again. _"No, of course he couldn't He couldn't possibly have known I was coming. My plan is far too perfect for these kinds of flaws. Just what to do now…"_**I'm messing with this plot more and more. Just what'll this all culminate to? You'll have to wait and see, it won't be for a while. We'll get to hear from a neat little dynamic duo (who are the bosses of the next Mega Star), and catch up on what they're up to. And truthfully, I'm surprised no one has guessed who they are. Hint: we already heard from them in this story before. I've just been neglecting them for a while.**


	33. Chapter 32

**Here we go, another chapter has been delivered, as promised. I may be able to get one last one by Monday, but we'll see. I've been really enjoying writing these last few, and I believe that it will last.**

**And for those whom I've stumped about the duo here, well the wait is over. They're back and ready to go (kinda).**

* * *

Chapter 32: Castle for Two

Night had long since fallen upon Koopolis, and in the bar and inn that Mario and co. were staying, our hero was currently preoccupying himself with a little box that the bartender had given to him.

Looking around, Mario made sure that everyone else had fallen asleep. Sighing, he lifted the flaps on the end of the box to see what was inside. Turning it on its end, he shook the little box until a small toy fell onto the palm of his hand. Dropping the box, Mario inspected the toy carefully.

It was what appeared to be a little tin version of himself. Lightweight but durable, the little toy was simply a replica of Mario, complete with hinged arms, legs, neck, and jaw. Small brass bolt stuck out from each of these hinges, overall giving the entire thing an oldies look.

Mario had no clue as to why anyone would send the little toy. What was it for? Thinking that there was something more, he put the little toy in his lap and picked the box back up. Shaking it harder, he saw a little note card float out of it and on top of the little figurine. He dropped the box again and grabbed the card, reading what was printed upon it.

'_Mario, there is not much time left. Make haste in your search, for the darkness, as you may have noticed, has thickened. Use this gift wisely. I have foreseen that you will be in dire need of its assistance when the time comes. Good luck.'_

There was not a signature to give who had sent it. Perplexed as he was, Mario did not have time to question it further. A noise broke him from his stupor and he quickly hid away everything into his pockets as he saw Boone blindly get up and exit the room. The sound of steps down the stairs gave an all clear to Mario, but he dared not to take any more chances. He went over to the last empty bed and lay down. Making sure he had everything, including the box, he fell asleep peacefully.

* * *

"For crying out loud Boone! What are you doing?!" Shelly cried in exasperation at the Koopa. Said Koopa was sprawled out across the bar with a pot over his head in place of his helmet. All sorts of food was strewn around him in one big mess, leaving Mario and the others to stare in shock at Boone.

"Wuh? What'd I do?" He asked in a barely conscious state. Shelly hopped up next to him and took off the pot. Seeing that he had apparently left his helmet with his new boomerang in the room, she proceeded to bash the metal pot into his skull, leaving several large bruises. He rubbed the spots tenderly before looking at the Shy Gal pleadingly. "Really, Shelly? I can't help sleepwalking issues."

"But you sure could stop from being such a nitwit!"

"True." He brushed crumbs off of himself before jumping down from the bar. Looking to everyone, he smiled warmly as best as he could. With the bruises and slight swelling, it looked as if he had his face frozen in an awkward position. "So what are we doing today?"

"Good morning everyone – MY GOSH!" the Toad bartender exclaimed upon seeing the mess. "You!" he pointed at Boone with one eye twitching. "Out of here! All of you, out of here!" He waved everyone away and pointed to the door for emphasis. Mario tried to remind him of what he had said before, but the Toad wouldn't hear of it. "I don't care what you tryin' to pull! Get your stuff and get out of my inn before I call the cops on you for harassment and destruction of property.

None of them had to be told twice. Mario, William, and Shelly rushed upstairs and grabbed everything from the rooms before hurriedly exiting the inn. Once outside, they noticed Boone still hadn't left.

"This'll teach you to have respect! I don't care how old you are, you obviously weren't taught squat!" The Toad chastised as he hit Boone repeatedly with his own metal boomerang.

"Two objections! I was raised by feral Amazy Daisies, and I'm at least twenty years older than you!" The Koopa ran to catch up with everyone and to escape the Toad. As one last act of anger, the bartender threw the boomerang right at Boone, hitting him in the back of the head and knocking him to the ground. Satisfied, the Toad nodded to Mario and went back inside.

"How'd he get my boomerang?" Boone rubbed the back of his already injured head. Everyone shrugged, but then found something important to talk about.

"Wait, since we don't have a place to stay anymore, what are we going to do? Is Python still out of it?" Shelly asked. Mario began to think, but was interrupted by the aforementioned Monty Mole.

"If it would be helpful, I wish to let you all know that I am in well enough condition to continue the present mission at hand. After realizing that my organization's artifact was not as unique as we had believed, I see no better thing than to ensure the security of the others. And I am more than ready to get moving on that mission. Mario?" Python saluted the plumber before stepping back.

Mario looked around at each of his partners. Six of them at present, and each as ready as the next to continue on the journey to get the Mega Stars, defeat Bowser and Void, rescue Peach, and save the world. Nodding, he motioned for everyone to get moving.

"Alright Mario! Let's do this, we promise not to let you down!" Shelly told him. They all walked through the last streets of Koopolis and on to the paths leading all over the Old Mushroom Kingdom.

"So, just WHERE are we heading to again?" William brought this up before they all went too far. Mario pulled out the Star Navigator and activated the mapping function once more. The castle showed up once again in the North, but not all that far. Looking at it more in depth, Mario noted that something looked oddly familiar about it, he just couldn't place what.

"Er, Mario?" Graves nervously got the man in red's attention as he put the Navigator away. "If I may ask, just what do you plan on doing once we make landfall?"

"Not the most appropriate term here." Shelly remarked.

"Ignoring that, what do you plan to do? I mean, we can't just go in there all casual-like as we are right now. By the looks of that map, we'll be blasted to bits before we could even cry 'captain!'"

As the talks went on between everyone, the hype mounting on their coming destination, none paid any attention to what went on around them. Or to be exact, _above_ them. Hundreds of feet above their heads was a small flying robotic device with several cameras mounted on it. Every lens was focused upon them, sending the live feeds of their trek back to its creators.

* * *

"L?" The young Bowser mini-me called out. After hearing no reply, he tried a little louder. "L! Get your lazy bum in here!"

A series of crashes signified the klutzish arrival of his accomplice. Sighing, Bowser Jr. put his hand through what little hair he had to try and calm down, if only slightly. "Yeah? You rang?" Mr. L asked as he climbed through a floor hatch into the room.

Bowser Jr. pointed at the screen. "Look at that, and tell me what you see."

"Well, I see a ruffian, a dirty, unshaven Koopa, a –"

"That's not what I meant. I mean, look! Mario is coming here! Here! Papa said he wasn't coming for another week!"

"Things do change and –"

"No, that doesn't matter! Don't get all mathematical on me, I don't care for that stuff. All I care for is that we get stuff done, and we do it with spectacular explosions. Now, did you finish adding those final touches?"

Mr. L gave a huge grin and a thumbs up. "You betcha. When Mario comes here, he won't know what hit him. And that's if he somehow gets through those sentries we put up. Then there's that lava moat. And the soldiers your dad sent."

"Speaking of which, is anyone guarding that special room?" Bowser Jr. asked.

Mr. L shrugged. "I don't know. What special room are you talking about? Torture chamber? Kamek Gag Reel Theater room?"

"The one with those things. You know, the shiny orbs."

"Now that you mention it, I don't believe so. But why waste manpower there? It's not like that stuff is all that important."

"Just do it. And to be on the safe side, put in those purebred Chain Chomps we got from that money. I suppose there are benefits involved when your boss dies."

"Yeah, like this castle. Plus the necessary funds to complete our project in record time."

Bowser Jr. grumbled at the last remark. "Heh, yeah. Dimentio was holding back that money, there's no doubt with that. Lousy, good-for-nothing jester. I can imagine what his Game Over is like."

Mr. L laughed at this. "Yeah, same here. Well, I better be off. No, actually your coming with me to take care of those Chain Chomps. You've done nothing but sit here in front of that screen all day!"

"You ain't Momma!"

"Don't care; let's go!" Mr. L said finally as he grabbed Bowser Jr. by the neck and dragged him from the chair and down the floor hatch.

* * *

"So uh…who's going to open the cage?" Bowser Jr. was staring in total fear at the massive cage set before him and Mr. L. Chain Chomps were snarling and biting at each other from within, all a multitude of different colors.

Mr. L took a step back. "Don't look at me; I never signed up for this kind of work."

"Well…Papa wouldn't want me getting hurt!"

"I'm not practically immortal!"

"Neither am I!"

"You know what, wait a sec," Mr. L put a hand out and began to think. "We'll both do it. But first, you got that whacko paintbrush of yours?"

"Always." Bowser Jr. pulled out the magic brush from out of nowhere and brandished it heroically.

"Alright!" Mr. L snapped his fingers into two thumbs up. He ran up to the cage, Bowser Jr. right behind him. "So, I open the door, you slash one of those crazy 'M' portals, and we get out of here before we're torn to shreds. On three. One! Two!"

"Three!" Jr. drew a quick portal and jumped in, the portal closing behind him. Too late to realize what had gone on, Mr. L had already begun to open the cage. "Oh jeez. Darn it all! I'll have my revenge Jr.!" He screamed before the Chain Chomps burst out of the cage. Running as fast as he could, he managed to barely stay ahead of the swarm of Chomps. In what could be record time, he made it to the open door, went through, and slammed it shut. "Good thing I thought of this in advance." He laughed deliriously as he threw multiple latches and locks over the door.

"So how'd that go?" Bowser Jr. asked as his head popped out of an "M" on the ceiling, prompting a glare from his accomplice. "Should I guess?"

"What do you think? I was almost doggy chow for those monsters. Obviously you forgot something."

"What's that?" Jr. asked nonchalantly

"If I died, you wouldn't be able to start our mech! It requires both of us to work!"

Jr.'s face fell. "Oh yeah. I did forget about that little detail…"

"Little?!"

"Okay, major detail. But so what, you're a-okay, we've got everything set, what's there to worry about anymore? Besides, I know that in a few seconds you'll forgive me and be begging to be on good terms with each other once more. Why? Because that's one thing you can't get rid of from Luigi."

"You never bring that mistake up with me again! Have at you!" Mr. L pounced as high as he could, grabbing onto a surprised Bowser Jr. and pulling him down from the ceiling. "I don't care if Mario's coming; you'll be fine once he gets here, if he does!"

* * *

Mario put his hands out to hold everyone back. In front of them lay a makeshift bridge of wood and rope that had been placed conveniently for them to cross over to the other side where the castle lay. And below them was…

"A moat filled with lava. Of all things, it's lava." Complained Shelly as she peered over the edge to get a good look. Everyone else took a good step back to avoid any possibilities of falling. Instead they occupied themselves by looking across to the other section where the castle could now be in full view. Sure enough, sentries were placed all around it, some with guns, and some without. A large tapestry was placed upon the face of it with a distorted rainbow outline of an "M" with a green backwards "L" placed alongside it.

"What in BLAZES is that all about?" William asked. Mario only shrugged. It could be anyone or anything in that castle. But for some reason, the "L" looked familiar, and so did the "M." Now if he could just remember where he'd seen them before…

"Hey everyone, I don't know if you really care about this, but it seems that night's approaching fast. Take a look." He pointed off to the right, where the horizon was seen due to the mostly barren landscape. The soulless, blank orb that was the sun was falling ever so closer to the edge of the earth. It would be unwise of them to attack in total darkness when they were exhausted from a long day of travelling. Even though the castle was not extremely far from Koopolis, there was still opposition from several members of Bowser's army on their way up. It was up to imagination to guess what could happen if the sentries fought them. Besides, they didn't even have a plan of action yet.

"So we're going to be staying right here for tonight?" Shelly asked Mario. Nodding, Mario turned and began to walk a little further from the bridge and the castle across that bridge. He didn't want a sentry coming across and seeing them right there.

"Well, I'll be fine with this. Besides, Boone here could teach meh some of his outdoor survival stuff. I'm sure he knows how we can make the most of this situation!" Graves grinned at his friend. Boone smiled sheepishly.

"Uh, sure, of course I can help out," he said. "Just lie on the ground, get comfortable, and…sleep." Doing this as he spoke, Boone was dead asleep as soon as his head hit the dusty earth.

Shelly was staring, mouth agape at him. "That's it? You've been in the woods for your whole life, and that's how you lived? Not even a tent or a lean-to or anything?" A loud snore was her only reply. "Grrr, Duplissa, come on. Get those crayons out; we're sleeping like royalty if we have to."

The little Duplighost followed after the Shy Gal, pulling out a few of her crayons as she did. "I'll just do this," she said as she began to draw out a three dimensional house with the crayons. "Finished." The house came into full color and form, solidifying instantly. Shelly nodded with a smile and walked in.

"Come on Duplissa, the guys can sleep out in the open if they want."

Python looked around to see only Mario and William as the only ones still awake. "Er…in that case then…g'night." He vanished into the ground with a shower of dirt left in his wake. William laughed at the spectacle for a moment before him, too, went to sleep, completely shutting down and dropping onto the ground.

Mario yawned and looked back at the castle. The lava cast an eerie glow upon it, but that was about it. The bridge seemed empty still, it didn't look like any sentries would come over at any time.

Satisfied, he lay down and pulled his hat over his eyes. Tomorrow…tomorrow would begin their work to gain the 6th Star. Now if they could manage to survive…things would be fine.

* * *

"_I must work quickly. Morning will come soon, and they will awaken. I must be ready for them." _A disembodied voice rasped into the cold night. The castle could be seen far in the distance, the top of it just over the horizon. In the night, it was impossible to see the shadow being as he made his journey to his destination.

_"Confrontation was inevitable. It always was. Mario has gotten too far, I fear. I believe that he will triumph and get this Star, and the next. Then he'll defeat Bowser and…my plan shall be ruined. I know I am not ready for battle, but this is necessary…for if he succeeds here, my plan shall die…"_

_

* * *

**Yep, Bowser Jr. and Mr. L are back in business. Just wait until Mario has to deal with them. It...yeah, it's not going to be pretty. But it'll be fun! Explosions galore!**_

**But judging from this last bit here...I don't believe that the fight will be so soon. Something big is coming, and it's definitely not what anyone expected.**


	34. Chapter 33

**I bet almost no one expected this so soon. But you all must know, evil villains have plans, and those plans must be protected at all costs. This was one of the most fun chapters I have written through this story.**

**I would have had this up sooner, but all this weekend my younger brother has been taking forever on an essay. Well, maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration. I think I can contribute it more to the fact that I decided to finally spend the 1000 Wii Points I've had left over since I bought Paper Mario back in January (The reason I even wrote this story, btw). And I got Ocarina of Time. Never played Zelda before. Ever. And all I can say is, so far it has been worth the purchase. I have not had this much fun with a game since I got Platinum seven months ago.**

**Enough of my ramblings; enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

Chapter 33: Light at the End of the Tunnel

Mario woke up groggily. He brushed some dirt off of himself before taking a look around. Seeing that the castle was just behind him, he was reminded of where he was immediately. Python, Boone, Shelly, and Duplissa were already up and about; with Duplissa having created an illusionary fire after Boone had apparently failed.

"And you lived in the outdoors all your life…" Shelly shook her head in embarrassment for the Boomerang Bro. Mario made his presence known and greeted everyone, receiving a few "hellos" and "good mornings" from everyone. He sat down by the fire to be engulfed in the warmth. Graves woke up shortly after and sat next to him.

"Hey Mario, You wouldn't mind if I asked you somethin'?" Graves asked. "I can't help it – I've got this feeling of foreboding coming over me. Like…like this battle won't end well. Today just gives me some terrible feeling. I know it seems silly but…I just can't shake it. I was dreaming and I saw what I thought was Void but, it doesn't seem right. Void wouldn't come here right now, would he?"

"I wouldn't worry about it," Shelly said as she rubbed her hands in front of the fire. "Void was a creep, there's nothing to be spooked about. I wouldn't think that we'll see him until after we get the Mega Stars."

"And you are so terribly wrong." A voice rasped in response. Everyone was wide-eyed as they looked frantically around to find who had spoken.

"Very funny Boone," Shelly laughed nervously. "You can quit that now."

"I would but…I'm not doing that."

"Then who? Graves?"

"WRONG!" Shadow particles began swarming all around them, each individual one clumping with another until they began to amass into one large blob. The blob redefined itself and grew into a humanoid shape, with three-fingered white hands and a white sphere of a head. The head gained two depressions to represent eyes, and three slits like a mask where the mouth would be. After it finished forming, everyone watched in horror as Void hovered before them, looking at each person as if calculating what he could do to destroy each of them.

"Hello Mario and friends. It is a pleasure to meet you all once again. And I see you have a new friend. Python, is it? Obviously not your real name, is it Jonathan?"

Python stared in shock at Void. "How…how do you know who I am? That information is never disclosed from the organization!"

Void started to laugh, but this turned into a wheeze. "Fool. I am everywhere, I can get anywhere. There is nothing you can do to stop anything which I may do. And what I may do now, it's quite obvious. You shall all die here. You cannot get the Star here; you will not get the Star after this. And Bowser shall prevail. And then I shall prevail, thanks to his assistance. I don't think anything would have ever worked without him getting a hold of the Mega Stars, since I could not. Alliances are the keys to victory, remember that. That is why Dimentio assisted me. That is why Bowser assisted me."

"So what, are you just going to kill Bowser in the end, too?" Shelly asked. Void laughed at this.

"Of course not. Dimentio was a stepping stone to get my plan moving along. Bowser is an important part, as he is well aware. Without him, nothing can work. Therefore, he shall not die. Nor shall his child, or anyone else he wishes. Such are important things to do to get what you want in alliances."

"But why attack now? What are we going to do here that you couldn't take care of with Bowser later? Or have taken care of well before?"

"I had underestimated you before. But I know exactly what shall be done. It is a now or never. This is the final stand for everything I have worked for. And I shall prevail in the end, and each of you shall die painfully. Goodbye." He said finally before having a spherical blast of shadows burst forth from him, directly hitting everyone and throwing them back a few feet. Mario called everyone back, keeping only Boone with him.

"I'm ready whenever you are Mario!" He gripped his metal boomerang and pulled it from the sling on his back. The purple metal edges looked particularly deadly at the moment and Mario hoped they would be able to help. Just before Boone could throw it, a deafening boom caused everyone to wince and clutch their ears.

Mario saw William shoot off with a sonic boom towards Void, having apparently just awoken from the attack. Void seemed surprised, but didn't bother at all to move. William had apparently dropped everything, taking in the appearance of the Bullet Bill that he was. "I'm coming for YOU! This old timer is going to teach you how we did it in the OLDEN days!"

Void seemed to make what could only be described as a smirk. "Bring it, geezer." He stayed completely motionless as he saw the Bullet Bill approach him in almost slow-motion. William narrowed his eyes and charged even harder as he came closer to Void. A split-second later, he hit Void.

At least, that's what should have happened. Instead, William blew right through Void's body without any damage to either of them. "Wha-?"

"Too slow." Void turned around and shot a beam of complete dark energy at William. The Bullet could only watch as he was hit and rendered unconscious instantly. His body fell from the sky and crash landed into the ground, kicking up tons of dust as a result.

"William!" Shelly screamed. Duplissa was staring in fright at both the fallen body of William, and Void.

Void began to pull his arms back. "There's an interesting thing about ones who hold unlimited power. Those who believe that it can be used for the greater good are fools. They are corrupted sooner or later. Those who use it for evil from the start have a chance at reaching their aspirations sooner. Such as what I am doing now. Allow me to demonstrate." He pulled his arms back in front of him in a clap of his hands, unleashing another wave of dark energy towards everyone. This time, however, Mario noticed how it seemed to move in an altered two-dimensional plane. Making sure he did it just right, he jumped over the wave as it came. Shelly made sure everyone else did so as well.

"Very well done. You avoided an attack. I suppose you can learn things. But can you take this?" Void's hands glowed purple before he slashed forward in an "x" pattern, sending forth two waves in the same pattern, growing in size as it came closer. Mario ran and ducked out of the way of the central point of the cross while the others tried their best to stay out of the way. Duplissa and Boone were unluckily hit, but only suffered minor burns where contact was made.

"Mario! We need a plan of action here! This guy isn't going to be giving us any kind of fairness, and we need to strike back at some point here!" Mario nodded and pointed to Boone. The Boomerang Bro. understood exactly Mario's orders, and he through his boomerang directly at Void.

Void remained motionless once again, letting the boomerang pass harmlessly through him, carrying only a few bits of his shadow body, but this did not seem to do anything. "Conventional weapons and attacks are useless against me. You expect a mere toy to bring damage upon myself?"

"Eh, I tried at least."

Void began a coughing fit before he began to charge another cross attack in his hands. Before he used it though, a glint in the sky shone through the darkness as Boone's new metal boomerang began its way back. Void did not see this and continued his attack, sending forth the "x" shape once again. Everyone was far more prepared for it and ran out of its way before it could harm them.

"Why do you keep running from the inevitable? Pain and death will only come sooner to you. You only prolong it. Not that it shall matter once I am done."

The Boomerang was close now, closing a distance of a hundred feet in a matter of seconds. "What?" Void turned his head in time to see the jagged object slam into him, knocking loose his head from his body and onto the ground. The shadows making up his body dissipated and his hands fell to the ground.

Mario approached the parts of Void cautiously, fearing for the worst. Boone grabbed his boomerang and joined up with him, as well as the others who stayed a safe distance behind. Graves decided to be the brave one and hopped up alongside Mario. Drawing his sword, he pushed Mario back. "Hold on matey. Let me 'andle this. If he's still breathin', I'll give him a quick slash from Ol' Reliable."

Mario tried to stop the Goonie, but was too late. As Graves cautiously approached Void's head, his trembling began to completely take him over. The eye sockets of the head were apparently closed. Graves was seriously beginning to be overtaken by fear as he raised his sword for a final blow. "Come on Graves! Don't wait for him to come back from the dead and kill us!" Shelly yelled.

Graves nodded, and taking an uneasy breath, swung his sword at Void's head. Within a few moments, chaos was all over. The eyes opened, and Void reformed without any hesitation, dealing a heavy punch to Grave's face as he did so. The Goonie sailed backwards into the ground, skidding along towards the lava without any signs of stopping in time. Mario and the others could only watch in horror as they saw Graves slip over the edge and disappear from view.

Enraged, Shelly faced Void such killing intent ready upon her face. "Duplissa, if you please." The Duplighost wasted no time in filling out Shelly's request, knowing very well things wouldn't be pleasant otherwise. Taking a crayon out, she began to draw boulder after boulder, until at least fifteen or so had been created. Shelly picked one up and began tossing it lightly up and down in a threatening gesture towards Void.

"…Blast." He said as Shelly rapidly threw boulder after boulder in succession, leaving little possibility of avoidance for Void. Firing off a shadow pulse in a vain attempt to stop the boulders, Void could only watch as he was nailed repeatedly by them. When the onslaught was finished, he remained in the air, gasping for breath. His head and hands showed signs of large cracks in them, and it was even visible to see that a sizable chunk had been removed from his head, as well as missing one of the fingers on his right hand.

"So I see that you have actually managed to bring me to this poor of a state. Very well then, I am left with no choice. You all die here." Void pointed a finger at the space in front of Mario and the others, where a miniature black hole opened up.

"Duplissa!" Shelly cried as she began to madly clutch at the ground to escape the pull of gravity. Duplissa was already swept up, but was going around in such a way that it could have been likened to a whirlpool or tornado, giving her more than enough time to be set to work to save everyone. Drawing around the black hole as best as she could, Duplissa managed to seal it off from the outer world in a near-transparent box. But it was evident it would not hold long as several cracks began to form in it. Void was distracted by this development, and was actually amazed at the ingenuity of Duplissa.

"You demonstrate quite a prowess for being able to react well in emergencies. I admire that. It seems you are a worthier adversary than I thought, instead of a weakest link for this little motley crew. Sad that you have to die."

As Void spoke, he did not notice Mario dashing towards him in preparation for a jump. Leaping up with all his might, Mario landed perfectly atop Void's head, sending more cracks throughout it. Jumping off, he did the same to Void's hands. "Stop Mario! You have no idea what power you are messing with!" Mario only smirked as he finished, performing several back flips on his way back to the others.

Void was about to do another cross attack, but was shocked to see his hands begin to crumble before his very eyes. Slowly at first, the white substance they were made up of began to blow away like sand, but it was long before they began to break apart in sizable fragments that fell useless to the ground. "No! What have you done to me! I could not have lost so much so soon! That's impossible!"

"Not for the great Mario! Anything is possible for him!" Shelly gloated. Void snarled at her as the last of his hands faded away into nothingness. The shadows that were his arms dissolved into the air, leaving him without his main way of attacking. Sighing, he began to shake his head.

"Fools. That is what you are for even attempting to stop me. Even removing my arms, something I never thought possible, you have not held me back any more than I would be with them." His chest began to glow purple as his energies began to gather and concentrate all at once.

High above, the resulting beam attack was caught on camera by the same surveillance equipment that had been following Mario and his partners since they had left Koopolis.

* * *

"Yo, L! Get in here and check this out!" Bowser Jr. called down to his partner.

A sound from below signaled Mr. L's approach. Metal clanking of his shoes on the ladder below were heard before a loud bang resonated in the room Bowser Jr. was in. "Ouch," was all Jr. heard from Mr. L before the trapdoor was opened and the Green Thunder climbed in, clutching his head in pain. "Why was that locked?"

"Oh, it was? Sorry, didn't know…I guess." Bowser Jr. shrugged indifferently before swiveling in his chair back to the screens. "Check this out, man. Some dude's gone and taken the fight early on our targets! Who does he think he is?"

Mr. L walked up to the screens and squinted at what he saw. "What in the world is that thing? You ever seen anything like it?"

"Nope, never. Papa never had anything like that in his army or a part of his plan. Truthfully, it looks something like what Dimentio had around, when he was around. Just a bit deadlier, of course."

"It hasn't killed anyone yet, has it? Because, that's our job. Your dad said so."

Jr. typed on a keyboard in front of him. "Doesn't look it. Two are completely unconscious from what this shows. The others seem injured in multiple ways, but are far from down and out. One of the unconscious ones very nearly died, too. He fell into our moat."

"Well, why isn't he dead?"

"Get this, it looks like one of them went and grabbed him after he fell. Probably a Monty Mole or something. Jeez, Mario always seems to get all sorts of characters with him on these adventures of his, doesn't he?"

"You're telling me. So are we going to do anything about that thing?"

"Nah, let's let it go ahead and do as it pleases. If we're lucky, it'll end up killing all of them, and we won't have to do squat. Then we can go to Papa and he'll give us the credit, and then things will be smooth sailing from there."

* * *

"I need more boulders, Duplissa!" Shelly called to the Duplighost. Duplissa nodded, and hurried to fill out the demand of her friend. Shelly was currently throwing the boulders nonstop at Void, but he now moved like a ghost, strafing between the constant barrage of boulders to avoid further damage to his head.

Mario was busy trying to figure out a way to get at the shadow entity since their current tactic was failing them. Before he could think further, a noise behind him caught his attention. Looking behind, he saw the ground rise up in a spot before Python crawled out, dragging a bloodied and unconscious Graves with him. "Reporting for duty once again. And all are accounted for." Python saluted Mario with a grin and then laid Graves upon the ground. "Is there anything I can be of assistance for?"

"Well, saving Graves was just about good enough." Boone commented. Shelly took a pause and motioned for Boone to give another try with his boomerang, as well as Duplissa to go ahead and try to think of any other ideas she may have.

"There is something you can do," she said as her ideas started to flow. "Just tell me, can you dig through rock?"

* * *

Void had noticed the evident lack of attacks as of recent. "What's wrong, lost the will to fight? Or just run out of clever ideas to attack me with? You can't win, you'll lose no matter what happens, whether directly by my hand, or by my little present. Have you all forgotten about it?"

Mario was shocked as he remembered the black hole Void had placed, and he looked over to the shield they had put around it. Despite being invisible, there were cracks all around where Duplissa had created the box. It was obviously not going to hold for much longer. Mario called for his partners to get ready for a final assault, knowing that this was the last chance they had before the black hole would be unleashed once more. If they could take out Void, then it was possible that the black hole would go away with him.

"Don't even try it; I'll just avoid all of your attacks without any problem." Void taunted.

Mario motioned for everyone to begin, and was followed by a flurry of boulders, a boomerang, and his own hammer. Void managed to wheeze out a laugh as he began to do exactly as before and move deftly between the objects, making sure that his fragile head was completely untouched.

"I don't know why you continue. It makes no sense that you fight for a lost cause, when in the end you shall all fail. And these pathetic attempts at trying to hit me are beginning to bore me. Strange that you continue this even when you know it doesn't work. I suppose it shows the limits of each of your intelligence, especially you, Shy Gal."

Shelly smirked at his comment. "Then you'll be presently surprised with what we have for you. Now Python!"

Void twisted to look around as he heard an explosion from behind him. As it turns out, one of the boulders that had just passed him had burst apart, revealing Python from within. The Monty Mole began a free-fall towards Void, the latter of which could do nothing but watch in silent terror as he realized his imminent doom.

"You, my friend, have failed at not being seen!" Python cried out in triumph. Void tried to get out of the way, but was struck head-on by the falling Monty Mole. Python fell straight to the ground, but instead of slamming into it, he immediately burrowed through and made his way back to Mario and the others.

Void was knocked forward from the attack, the force of which managed to dislodge his head from his body, once again causing the shadows to dispel. Void's head flew forward until it impacted into the ground, creating a small crater where it lay unmoving.

Mario slowly walked towards Void, making sure to be wary in case that he somehow woke up once again. The head wriggled for a moment until it could get a good look at Mario.

"You bested me," he spat. "I never believed it possible but, you managed to defeat me. And so quickly…you must be proud. My plans never saw this happening, but I suppose I should always expect the unexpected. So what are you to do now Mario? Knowing the kindred spirit you are, I'd expect nothing more than for you to leave me here to die, am I correct? Pathetic. This is why you continue to fight. You never have the guts to kill your enemy. Exactly what you are doing right now. And then you'll just go on and – wait, what are you doing?" Mario's head was down, hiding his face as he pulled out his hammer. Pulling back for a moment, he keeled forward as he prepared to smash what was left of Void. "I never meant for you to actually – grahhh!"

The hammer crushed Void's already broken head, sending cracks all throughout it and breaking off several more pieces.

Void began coughing uncontrollably, not sure what was to become of him now. "No…I can feel my powers slipping. I'm dying by my own self…Mario, let your game be pleasant, for I shall be sure to come for you in your Game Over." He was silenced by a sudden sucking sound that seemed to come from him. He screamed, realizing that the irony of his downfall: he was being consumed by himself. Sure enough, a miniature void was soon visible as it absorbed the rest of him until there was nothing left.

At that moment, the black hole managed to shatter the shield surrounding it. Fortunately, as it did so it dissipated with Void into oblivion. All was quiet for the moment as everyone looked at each other, unsure if the threat was truly gone.

After a few minutes more, everyone remained quiet. Boone and Mario went over to retrieve William, who was surprisingly still alive. Mario sat down quietly, away from the others as the partners that were still able to move around were busy taking care of the two unconscious ones. Mario had made sure to leave two Life Shrooms with them to at least revive them for the moment. He didn't have much else to heal them, though, so that would be a problem for when they got into the fortress.

Remembering his goal, Mario turned his attention to the castle in front of him. Acknowledging that the threat of Void was gone, he now had to take care of Bowser. But before Bowser, he still had two more Mega Stars to get back. And one of them was within his grasp.

* * *

**I better not get any complaints that "oh, why'd you go and have Void come here so soon, especially right before the fight with Bowser Jr. and Mr. L! Now the team is weak, there's no way they could win unless you pull some random thing that comes out of nowhere."  
I know what I'm doing, and this was necessary for the story to progress. Void needed to be taken out of commission, so that Bowser could be focused upon. And as for when I do the Bowser Jr. and Mr. L fight, I've already given you guys how it'll be done. It was probably overlooked as "unimportant" a chapter or so ago. But I'm not going to spoil anything about the future of this story. I'm thinking that there'll be one or two more chapters before the fight with Bowser Jr. and Mr. L, it depends on how I pace the next one.**

**But I suppose I can give a nice little tidbit about the contents of next chapter. We're going to meet the next partner, and it's not going to be a pretty first encounter!**


	35. Chapter 34

**Yeah, this one's shorter than the last few have been. I'm trying to pace things a bit, I feel like I'm beginning to blaze through this story. I say one more chapter of running about, and then we can fight Bowser Jr. and Mr. L. I've been putting it off for you all, haven't I?**

* * *

Chapter 34: Om nom CHOMP!

"So you're both sure that you're able to continue on with us?" Shelly was checking to make sure that William and Graves were okay to go. Truthfully, she didn't want them to come in their present condition, especially with what may come in the castle.

William lazily puttered over to his belongings and put everything back on, adjusting his hat and monocle to make sure they were just right. "Yeah, WE'RE absolutely positive. No use staying behind like this, do you know what MIGHT happen? We'd be actually killed." Graves nodded his agreement.

Shelly smacked herself in the forehead. "You do realize the even greater likelihood of being killed inside that castle, right?"

"Eh…yeah, of COURSE we do. But we've decided ALREADY. No turning BACK now."

Shelly sighed and looked to Mario in a desperate plea. "You've got to talk some sense into them. In their conditions, there's just no way that they'd be able to survive there," Mario looked at the sorry state the Bullet Bill and Goonie were in before a grin came to his face. "What're you planning?" Shelly asked him.

* * *

Duplissa was ahead of the group of five as they approached the bridge. On the other side, there were still the many robotic sentries roaming around in their constant watch for invaders.

"So those two actually went along with it?" Boone asked incredulously. Mario smiled and gave him a thumbs up. "That's fantastic!"

* * *

Graves and William were cautiously looking around at their plain white surroundings. They were both stuck in the Partner Place, and it didn't look like they would be getting out any time soon.

"So wait…if this place can bring us just about anything…" Graves began to think. "Then, where's my rum?!" Instantly, a bottle of the beverage appeared in front of him. "Cheers, William, my friend!" He said as he picked the bottle up and uncorked it.

* * *

Everyone stopped in front of the bridge, making sure the sentries didn't see them. Duplissa looked worriedly back at Mario, who gave her an encouraging nod.

"Okay." She exhaled deeply before concentrating on the form of the sentries. In a few seconds, she and the other began to be encircled by bits of sparkling light. A few seconds more and the light intensified, completely engulfing them and casting illusionary new forms over each of them. When it was done, all five of them looked no different from each other or the other sentries.

"Let's go and get into the castle as quickly as possible," said the robot that was apparently Shelly. She turned to the one that was where Duplissa had been standing. "How long can you hold this illusion?"

"Maybe…a few minutes…no more than ten." She grunted.

"So that means we do have to move fast. Let's get to it then." Shelly said finally before walking across the bridge. The heat rising up was uncomfortable for each of them, but none of them showed it in fear that the true sentries would detect something wrong and attack.

After crossing over, they each looked around; making sure that none of the sentries had suspected them of being the enemy. None did. Nodding to one another, they moved across the grounds toward the castle gate. The structure rose high above their heads, its stone walls menacing and ominous in their own way. They saw the main gate was open, and ran in as fast as possible. Rounding a corner, Mario looked back to see if any of the robots had followed. Once more, none of them did.

"Thank goodness whoever created those things wasn't smart enough to make those things smart enough to catch us." Shelly commented. The illusions dispelled with a gasp from Duplissa as she tried to catch her breath.

Mario looked around the castle as he checked to see if any enemies were around. One Gloomba was moseying around the place as if he were looking for something to do.

"'Work here' they said. 'You'll never be bored' they said. Ha! I've never been told a bigger lie in my life." The Gloomba continued to mutter his complaints as he walked along the hallway above where Mario and the others were. Soon enough, he disappeared down another hall.

"So where to now, Mario?" Boone asked. Mario looked a little more around and shrugged. He pointed down the hallway in front of them, which seemed to stretch on for a ways.

Walking on, they discovered the entire castle to be strangely deserted. For what reasons, they could only guess. Several doors were located on each side for a while, but when any of them tried to open the doors, they found them to be locked.

"So what are we going to do?" Shelly asked after what was perhaps the twentieth door they tried. Everyone else shook their heads, causing Shelly to look to Python. "You haven't said squat for a bit. What do you think we should do?"

"Er…," Python searched himself for something to say. Shelly had caught him off guard with the question, to say the least. "Well, there was always that upper floor. I have a feeling that if we continue down this corridor for much longer, it'll end, and we'll have only wasted more time on trying to open locked doors. We should go back to where we entered and move upstairs. My only fear is that some buggers might be waiting in surprise for us up there. It might be the reason why we haven't encountered any enemies at all."

Shelly took a moment to think all of this through. "Hmm, you do make a good point. Mario, what should we do?"

Mario nodded and pointed off to where they came from. Shelly sighed reluctantly at this.

"Well, you are the boss here. I suppose we'll go and try Python's idea."

* * *

"Jr., you might want to check this out!" Mr. L called out to his partner from the surveillance room. As he heard the sound of Bowser Jr.'s claws on the ladder, he began to smile. "Five…four…three…two…"

"Yeow! What in the world was that about?" Mr. L heard Bowser Jr. as he hit his head on the trapdoor. With this, Mr. L burst out laughing, causing his partner below to start screaming him down. "What was that for? Open this right now or I'll have Papa take you down!"

With a few more chuckles, Mr. L walked over to the trapdoor and unlatched it. Stepping away, he watched in amusement as Bowser Jr. climbed through. "Ha, look at pathetic you. Always going to 'Papa' to fight you fights. You going to have him take care of them?" He pointed to the screen which currently showed Mario and the others making their way back down the hall.

"What? How'd they get in?"

"Beats me. What matters now is, we got to get ready for them! To the mech!"

"Right!"

Both of them ran to the other side of the room where Mr. L pressed a red button on the wall. The wall rose up, revealing an elevator. Walking in, Mr. L again pressed a button to send them down. The elevator began to whir for a moment before quieting suddenly. Mr. L and Bowser Jr. looked at each other and shrugged before Jr. kicked one of the internal walls of the elevator. The whirring began again, and Bowser Jr. grinned at his achievement.

"See that is how you repair stuff correctly and – what's that noise?" Bowser Jr. looked at Mr. L, who merely shrugged. "Eh, maybe it's just the – AHHHH!"

Apparently, the elevator cable had snapped, thus plunging them downwards at fatally high speeds. "Nice job, Jr.!" Mr. L screamed at the mini-Bowser. In a matter of seconds, their freefall ended with a crash, sending the both of them flying out of the elevator and to sprawl out across the ground.

"Leave…the maintenance work…to me…next time." Mr. L coughed out. He tried raising his head if but a little, but failed and nodded back. "We'll…get to…the mech…in a bit," he said. "Maybe when…we aren't…dying."

* * *

Mario whacked the Koopa aside with his hammer as he and the others continued on their way. So far, the upper floor hadn't given much else. There had been two locked doors, and nothing more. And it had been a good way down since then. Instead of finding any way through, they found plenty of enemies waiting for them, just as Python predicted.

"I suppose this is far superior to going to the end of that corridor and finding nothing but a wall to greet us!" Python shouted over the noise of the battling. He grunted as he disappeared underground, pulling the remaining Koopas halfway underground.

"Nice work, Python." Shelly commented as said Monty Mole popped back up. He pulled himself out and brushed the gravel from his tuxedo. "It looks like there's a door up ahead," the Shy Gal pointed out. "We should try that, maybe we'll actually get something this time."

Mario ran ahead of them, giving his partners a moment to collect themselves after the last battle. Grimacing, he grabbed the knob, expecting the same as every door before it. Amazingly, it turned with a small click, and the door opened up into an open room with a bunch of miscellaneous objects on the other side, including multiple Mushrooms and Shroom Shakes.

Leaning back to see his partners, Mario waved them over, giving them the all-clear. "Wow, it opened," Shelly said sarcastically. She shook her head in disbelief as she walked over with the others. They peeked their heads in to make sure nothing truly was waiting for them in there. Seeing that things were alright, they went in after Mario.

"It looks like we're going to be fine with getting William and the Cap'n back on their feet," Boone observed. He began to start over, but Python held him back.

"Wait just a minute. In all my years of being an agent, never have things like this come so easily. It must be a trap."

Boone thought this through, and then began to pull his boomerang from its place on his back. "If so, we'll find out in a moment." He carefully threw it across the room where it proceed to arc back around, grabbing a Mushroom as it did so.

Boone caught the metal object on its return, allowing the mushroom to fly off and over to Mario. The plumber caught it and immediately put it away for later. Boone shrugged indifferently and put his boomerang away. "Seems good enough to me. Let's just grab as much as we can and then we can move on."

Python and Shelly seemed less than convinced on the safety of the items, but they put aside those fears and went ahead to grab what they could with the others. Just as they all were about to grab for the items, a low rumbling noise stopped them in their tracks.

"Something tells me this isn't going to end well." Shelly noted. Python was about to say something to agree, but the floor gave way, opening up into a pitfall that lead to who knows where.

Without William or Graves to help them make a softer landing, each of them began to drop into the darkened abyss. "Darn it Boone! This is why we don't listen to your faulty logic!" Shelly complained as she fell like a rock alongside everyone else. "If this leads to a vat of acid or a pit full of Chain Chomps, however clichéd it may be, your head will be mine!"

It wasn't too much longer before a light could be seen below, illuminating the ground that was rapidly approaching their faces. "This is going to hurt unless…Duplissa, quick! Make something that'll soften the blow!"

Duplissa made a noise to tell let Shelly know that she heard her. Pulling out a crayon, she quickly drew up a giant mattress below everyone. "That'll do it! Nice work, Duplissa!"

They landed with a thud, although it was without injury. After taking a moment to shake off the impact, Mario hopped off and began to look around and figure out where they were. The light from the torches was located only around their general area, with the rest of the room consumed by darkness. Boone walked by Mario and a ways into the darkness.

"I don't see anything really. Maybe we should just grab one of those torches and –" Boone was cut off by a series of growls and barks that seemed to be far off on the other side of the room, however far away it was. A rustle of chains and some movement followed, and before long each of them could distinctly hear ragged breathing coming from everywhere in the darkness.

Boone squeaked like a mouse and scampered back to everyone, hiding behind Shelly for protection. "Oh come on you! You're like, 50, and you're going to hide behind a teenager?! Pathetic!"

"I don't believe that now is the time for arguments. I actually would advise us to seek refuge somewhere safe, and fast." Python nervously said as he began to back up against the wall. Shelly turned her head back to see him.

"And why's that?" Python gulped and pointed to several forms that were beginning to emerge.

"They're the reason." Shelly gave him a look of bewilderment and turned to face the darkness once more. Only, this time it wasn't empty. Instead, there were several Chain Chomps excitedly moving their way over to investigate the newcomers. They were all of different colors, some were black, some were blue, red, green, and yellow. One truly stood out as being pink with a giant bow on its head.

Duplissa was making a move to pet the pink one, but Mario ran and pulled her back. At the same time, Shelly reached behind herself and pulled the shaking Boone out to face her.

"Your head it is."

* * *

**So I promised we would meet the new partner this chapter. I never said that they would join the team just yet. All I'll say about that matter is this: take a good guess. I believe I made it quite obvious.**

**I expect the next chapter will be done by next Sunday, and then I can probably start plowing through some for the winter break, which starts this coming weekend for me. Happy days! But the happiness won't last for me, since I've got a week left until it's time to rip out my wisdom teeth! Let's go and plug an IV into my arm, sounds great! /sarcasm**

**In spite of that, I think that I'll be able to spend the time writing several chapters and have them ready quickly. Or I may get distracted playing Ocarina of Time. My younger brother is hogging it, he's further than me...**


	36. Chapter 35

**This one was a bit longer. Couldn't help myself, it just all flowed out the way it is. Ugh, you guys can't imagine what I'm dealing with right now. My wisdom teeth were extracted yesterday in the early morning, what fun that was. I do have to admit, I'm shocked at how it all worked. Within 20 seconds of hooking the IV up to me, I was out. Next thing I know, I'm stumbling up with the help of several people, with me blathering about 'wanting to take my teeth home in a jar like they do when they take out your appendix.' Not that I've had my appendix taken out.  
But yeah, so now I've been miserable the past two days because I can hardly eat anything unless its soft, I can't really chew, my mouth is a bloody mess, and I've got a gaping hole where one tooth was and stitches where the others were. Can't wait for it all to heal up.**

**...Ahem, sorry to bug everyone about that. But I wanted to get that off my chest. All I can say is, at least nothing really hurts.**

* * *

Chapter 35: Seeing Pink

The Chain Chomps slowly slid towards Mario and the others, their chains clinking together due to the closeness of them all. Shelly gagged when she began to smell the rancid odor of many of the Chomps' breath. Mario pulled his hammer out, preparing for the worst even though he knew that it would be useless against the tough hide of the Chomps.

"Anyone have a plan?" Boone asked to no one in particular. He was cautiously watching a green Chain Chomp that was coming particularly close, his hand holding a death grip on his boomerang. Shelly shook her head in response.

"Nothing…I've got nothing here. Mario, please tell me you have something. I really don't feel like dying in the stomach of one of these things."

Mario gave Shelly a solemn look, one that needed no verbal explanations. The Shy Gal's face fell, but she nodded. "I understand. Well, nice knowing you all."

Duplissa was off in the corner, huddled against the cold stone walls as she nervously watched the Chain Chomps come closer. 'I k-know what to d-do. If I j-just had the courage…' With unprecedented vigor, Duplissa jumped up with a crayon and immediately set to work. Finishing within seconds, she stared in awe at her work. Solidifying quickly, it revealed itself as nothing more than a giant ball. Made of steel.

"Shelly, quick! I got something that might work!" Shelly snapped her head back and was surprised to see the Duplighost standing so confidently and ready to help.

"What is that thing?!"

"It's a ball! But only you can lift it, so do it and throw it across the room! It'll probably distract them long enough for us to figure out a way to get out of here!"

Smiling, Shelly quickly grabbed the ball and hefted it up. "This better work! Our only other option is Boone!"

Said Boomerang Bro. was currently flailing his boomerang in front of him in a vain attempt to ward off the Chain Chomps. Upon hearing his name called out, he stopped and looked over to everyone else. "Oh, why thank you!" he grinned. After giving it a moment of thought, his grin was wiped away. "Hey, wait! What's that supposed to mean!"

"No time, I'm saving our skins!" Shelly yelled as she violently lurched herself forward to gain enough momentum for the ball. Letting it go, the ball, sailed up and over the Chain Chomps, scraping against the ceiling and knocking some stone and dust down, before crashing to the floor, and bouncing a few times, where it soon rolled to a stop against the complete opposite side of the room.

For a moment, no sound or movements were made other than the ball itself. The Chain Chomps had stopped and Shelly was beginning to wonder if they had even noticed the ball at all. She was soon answered as one of the Chomps backed off and began to bark as it went over to where the ball landed. Several others began to follow, leaving four left. The largest one, colored blue, eyed each of Mario's team carefully. Upon seeing Boone, it hopped over and let out a deafening bark in front of his face, coating him in saliva in the process.

Satisfied with what it had done, the Chain Chomp began to bark madly and quickly made its way over to where the others were and tried to claim the ball for itself. Two of the last three followed as well, fearing that they wouldn't get to play with their new toy. This left one last Chain Chomp. The one that Duplissa had tried to pet. It was smaller than most of the others, but was still pretty large compared to Mario and his partners. The pink bow on its head alone was the size of Boone.

Duplissa slowly made her way to the Chain Chomp. The pink metal monster tilted its body as it tried to discern what Duplissa was going to do. Feebly, Duplissa reached an arm out to the Chomp, not knowing what to expect from it. The Chomp made no move to attack or run away, instead simply waiting and watching. Duplissa warily touched the Chain Chomp and began to pet it while at the same time ready to bolt at a moment's notice.

"Is she crazy?!" Shelly cried out to the others. Mario and Boone shrugged, but neither could take their eyes of the scene, the both of them wanting to know if there was going to be a cause for alarm. Python had disappeared at the moment. To where would be anyone's guess.

* * *

"So, what was going on out there?" Graves asked as he handed a fresh bottle of rum to Python. The Monty Mole grunted as he took bit the cork off.

"The blooming fools walked into a trap and were about to be devoured by Chain Chomps." At this, Graves, William, and Python looked at each other, and then took long swigs from their respective bottles.

"If I may interrupt, a THOUGHT just came to me." William said.

Graves shrugged indifferently. "Sure, what is it?"

"Now, if Python is right, then just what happens to the lot of us if Mario is eaten? What happens to this marvelous place we're in?"

"We die?" Python suggested, but Graves waved him off.

"No, no, no. That's can't be right. We're just stuck in our little dimension here until we die and are brought in for our Game Overs. Then we live the high life like this again in the Overthere. Simple as that."

"Do you think they're DEAD?"

"Well, judging from the size of those Chain Chomps," Python paused a moment to take a drink. "More than likely, they'll be dead soon if they aren't already."

The three of them looked at each other in deathly silence as the pondered the possibilities of what they had said. Graves was the first to break it.

"I'm cool with that. A toast to our eternal good life!" He shouted as he held his glass up.

"Hoorah!" Cheered the three of them as they clanked their glasses together.

* * *

Mario, Shelly, and Boone were positively shocked that Duplissa, or themselves, weren't dead yet. Duplissa remained where she was as she continued to pet the Chain Chomp, which had begun to pant happily towards the Duplighost.

"Duplissa…I don't know about you, but it may be wise to get away from that monster…as far away as possible." Shelly nervously suggested as she backed up closer to the wall with Mario and Boone following her movements. Duplissa looked back at the Shy Gal as she kept petting the Chain Chomp.

"But why? She seems nice enough."

"It's a vicious animal!" argued Shelly "Wait…'her?'"

Duplissa disregarded her friends and proceeded to draw a bone and another steel ball, this one smaller than the last, for the Chain Chomp in front of her. Smiling, she tossed the bone to the gaping mouth of the Chomp and attempted to push the ball towards "her" as well.

The Chain Chomp barked happily and began to gnaw on the ball that Duplissa made. Shelly began to carefully walk towards the two and put a hand on Duplissa's shoulder.

"Your little friend and her other friends almost ate us a second ago. Now you're going to go and make a pet out of her?" She asked, receiving a shrug from Duplissa.

"Not everything is a vicious beast. As exampled by what I'm doing here. I'm making a friend of this Chain Chomp here. Isn't that right?" The Chain Chomp barked in agreement to Duplissa, hopping up next to the Duplighost and licking her face. Duplissa began to laugh and swipe playfully at her newfound friend. The others watched in a mix of fascination and caution.

Mario and Boone looked at each other and shrugged, seeing that apparently they were safe for the moment…as long as the other Chain Chomps didn't get bored with their ball. Mario looked across the room to check. Sure enough, the other Chomps were going at each other in a complete brawl for the steel ball, with the large blue one doing its best to fend off the others from taking the ball that it had taken as its own.

Content with the fact that they would be safe for the moment, Mario rallied Boone, Shelly, and Duplissa to get moving anyways in case the other Chain Chomps would decide to attack at any given moment. Shelly and Boone were only too willing to oblige and they quickly made their way past the pink Chain Chomp as Duplissa stood there and continued to pet her.

"Duplissa, let's go!" Shelly stopped and called out to the Duplighost. Duplissa ignored her and carried on with what she had already been doing. Shelly was becoming visibly annoyed by the young girl's ignorance, something Mario and Boone took immediate notice of and retreated to the nearest door they could find.

"Mario, are we going to wait for them, or just go and leave them to be eaten?" Boone asked with complete seriousness. Mario glared in response, standing by the door and watching the scene unfold.

"Come on you! We don't have time for pets, especially ones that could kill us all!" Shelly yelled at Duplissa. The girl began to tear up at Shelly as she heard this and turned away to the Chain Chomp.

"You don't get it! I can tell, she won't kill us!" Duplissa sobbed. Shelly's hardened expression softened as she realized what she had done. Duplissa was her friend, and technically was beginning to be like a younger sister to her, and now this was how she was treating the girl. Sighing, she walked behind Duplissa and tried to make amends.

"Look…sorry. It's just…we don't know how your pet here will be like with everyone else. It's not even trained; it could go and kill any of us if it wanted to. You don't want that, do you?"

Duplissa shook her head and looked up to Shelly with a few tears remaining in her eyes. "You all just don't get it. I know that this Chain Chomp can be trusted. I can tell, she's not like the other ones."

"And you know that from just meeting her?"

"Yep. Some things can just connect, you got it?" Duplissa's voice began to rise. "I may be young, but I'm not completely incompetent or naïve. I know when something can be trusted, and believe me when I say that this Chain Chomp can be trusted!"

Shelly was at a loss for words. Here was Duplissa, timid little Duplissa, now yelling at her and standing up for what she saw as right. As this was all taken in, Shelly began to smile.

"You know what…you're right. If you really think that this Chain Chomp can be trusted, then so be it. Now, it just depends on the guys…" Shelly, Duplissa, and the Chain Chomp looked over to Mario and Boone, both of whom were cowering in fear since the other Chain Chomps had apparently gotten bored after the alpha Chomp had taken the ball completely for him.

Shelly and Duplissa looked nervously at one another as they tried to come up with a way to get the two out of their ordeal, but the pink Chain Chomp was quicker to coming up with it. Taking immediate action, she hopped over to the others, barking like mad and thrashing around in an effort to scare the others away from Mario and Boone. Thankfully it worked, leaving two horrified people left clinging to each other in fear as the Chain Chomp came upon them.

With a loud bark, the pink Chain Chomp smiled as best as she could and licked the two of them. Shelly and Duplissa came up from either side of her with grins on each of their faces. Boone backed away from everyone and pulled out his boomerang.

"I don't care what anyone has to say, I hate wild animals! I am so not having one on this team if that is where you two are going with this!" He said as he swung his boomerang wildly around. The Chain Chomp watched with increasing curiosity at the metal object in Boone's hand. With another bark, she hopped over and bit onto the end of the boomerang, much to Boone's chagrin.

"Get it off! Get it off right now!" Boone screamed, waving the boomerang around even more wildly than before as he tried in vain to shake the Chain Chomp off, who only held on tighter as she found more enjoyment in the little "game." Soon enough, Boone grew tired and stopped, letting go of his boomerang and letting the Chain Chomp gnaw on it for a little while. "Okay…fine, if Mario is okay with it…fine, this thing can be here. Whatever…just don't let it eat my boomerang. And I don't know about anyone else…but can we please…discuss matters in this other room so we don't have to worry about being eaten anytime soon?"

* * *

Once inside, the room lit up brightly with torches, but there was nothing to be found. Mario thought he saw several boxes on the other end, but he ignored it and focused on the situation at hand. Duplissa was at his feet with the biggest puppy face she could pull up, which was quite well done, considering she had taken the form of one.

Try as he might to resist, Mario gave in to Duplissa's pleading. Sighing with a slight smile, he gave in to the Duplighost's request.

Duplissa change back into her normal form, wearing a big grin full of happiness and gratitude. "Thank you so much Mario! Trust me, I'll keep an eye on her, and she'll be a great part of the team and everything! And I'll train her more and feed her and…"

Mario nodded disdainfully and pushed the Duplighost away, bringing his attention to the Chain Chomp nearby. The pink beast was happily barking and hopping around them, apparently not posing any kind of risk to the team. He hoped that Duplissa was right, and that there would not be any problems. It didn't seem so right now. In fact, it seemed that the only one who had problems so far with the Chain Chomp was Boone. Which brought another matter to hand…

* * *

"Huh? Mario?" Graves asked after he, William, and Python were pulled out from the Partner Place and back to reality. The trio looked around the room for any signs of life, but found none. William shrugged.

"There goes THAT theory of yours, Graves. Looks like if they died, WE get pulled out of that dimension for good."

"Such a waste," Commented Graves. "Oh well, we can just go about life however we want to now. No worries anymore."

"Er, sorry to burst your bubble there, Graves, but it would seem that there are two problems with your statement." Python mentioned to the Goonie.

Graves looked at him questioningly. "Oh? Just wha' would they be?"

"For one, there's still the issue with our little twilight world. It looks as if that'll be eternal now, since Mario is dead and he had the Mega Stars."

"Number two?"

Python squinted uneasily and cleared his throat. "That, my dear chum, would be our other problem." He pointed behind Graves and William to something they hadn't noticed before. A pink Chain Chomp hopped steadily from an area of the room towards the three of them, panting slowly as it approached them.

With a collected scream, all three ran over to the opposite wall to get away from the Chain Chomp. This didn't seem to phase it at all, as it continued its slow advance.

Graves nodded to both of his companions and nodded solemnly. "Gentlemen. It appears our deaths our imminent. It was an honor to work with all of you." As they shook hands and closed their eyes for what they believed to be the last time, they heard a few snickers that soon grew into laughter. Opening their eyes, they could not believe what they saw.

There was Mario and the rest all atop the Chain Chomp laughing their heads off at the three of them. Graves, William, and Python bowed their heads in embarrassment at this. None of them had expected the others to play this kind of a trick on them. Composing themselves, they greeted everyone else and were happily reunited with the knowledge that everyone was alive and well. After the initial greetings wore off, Graves pointed to the new addition to the team.

"So, uh, whose this?" he asked. Mario quickly explained the current situation and got him, William, and Python up to speed on things. Uneasily, the three of them looked at the Chain Chomp. "So this is…a new teammate?" Graves asked meekly. Mario simply nodded.

While Graves and Python were a bit wary to accept the Chain Chomp, William made short work of introductions of himself. "Well, GLAD to have you here, lass! Name's WILLIAM, and don't you forget it!"

The Chain Chomp barked happily in response to the thunderous Bullet Bill. William looked back down to the others with as best of a grin as he could manage. "She seems just FINE! I don't see the problem YOU two are having," he motioned to Graves and Python. "But I see nothing WRONG with having her with us. Just as long as she doesn't go and EAT my hat or cane of course." He said with a chuckle.

Graves and Python looked from each other to the Chain Chomp and the others. Sighing in defeat, they gave their agreements to let Duplissa have her way.

"Seeing as how we're outmatched by everyone," said Python. "We see that Duplissa and the lot of you will have your way no matter what. So be it."

With a cheer, Duplissa ran and gave the Chain Chomp a quick hug, receiving a lick in return.

**Congratulations! The pink-box wearing Chain Chomp…er, what's-her-name, has joined the team! With her size and strength, enemies will tremble at her power as she plows through, or even takes a sizable bite from them should she please! Outside of battle, she may prove quite useful if you are having trouble crossing somewhere you may have difficulty in doing so.**

* * *

"Jr.? Hey, Jr., are you awake yet?" Mr. L asked as he tried to pick himself up off the ground. He had lost track of how long it had been since they had crashed and fallen unconscious after Bowser Jr.'s mistake of kicking the elevator. "Bumbling fool…," Mr. L muttered. "I ought to throttle him just for that…" Looking around, he saw Bowser Jr. lying right nearby and still completely unconscious. Grumbling, he pulled himself to his feet and walked over to Jr.'s body. With a swift kick, he knocked Bowser Jr. onto his back.

"Ow! What the world was that for?" Jr. cried out as he clutched at his side in pain. Mr. L smirked and began to walk away towards their mech.

"You've been out too long. Come on now, we've wasted enough time. Fortunately, Mario and the others haven't gotten in here yet. How much you want to bet that their dead? Probably those Chain Chomps, malicious little buggers they are…"

Bowser Jr. grinned at the thought and scrambled to his feet. "Hey, if our job got a whole lot easier, I'd be just fine with that. But your right, we should be at least ready for them just in case. To the mech!" He shouted, and with that he ran off into the darkness with Mr. L tailing him.

"Just be careful not to run into the pipes!" Mr. L called out. He was met with a resounding crash a few moments later. "…Nevermind."

* * *

"So Mario what are these?" Graves asked. Everyone was gathered around two boxes containing two shining orbs. Mario, Shelly, Boone, Duplissa, and William knew exactly what they were. They were two specialized boxes to upgrade the abilities of two of them. Just who they would be had yet to be determined.

"Personally, I believe I deserve one of them now," Boone said with a smile, strutting out in front of everyone and beneath one of the boxes. "I don't know about anyone else, but I do believe that it is finally my turn that I get one of these."

With a squawk, Graves flew underneath the other one before anyone else could object. "If it be upgrading my combat skills with such simplicity, then I'm all for it!" Anchors away, I say!" He jumped up and hit the box at the same time as Boone did so. With a flash of light, the room was illuminated as bright as day, growing ever more intense to the point that everyone else had to shut their eyes to avoid being blinded. When it was all over and the light died down, Boone and Graves stood grinning at each other, and with two yelps of joy they ran to each other and gave high-fives.

"Watch this everyone!" Boone shouted with child-like elation, pulling out his boomerang and throwing it. As soon as it was released from his hand, the metal object split into several smaller replicas that flew across the room in several winding arcs before returning back and fusing before being caught by Boone once more.

Graves rolled his eyes at his teammate's behavior. "Ha, like that's anything special. I've got a far greater thing to use from what I was told!" Pulling out his sword, he wielded it expertly with a few slashes before pulling back. Before everyone's eyes, the sword split into three, all of which grew to giant proportions. With a shout, Graves threw himself forward with the sword he held, the other two acting like ghosts and following the original. The result was an earth-shattering slam as they crashed into the ground and split the stone floor with multiple fissures. Sheathing his sword, Graves turned back to everyone else with a smirk. "So what do you all have to say about that?"

* * *

**Not bad of a chapter, am I right? And it looks like most of you guys were spot on with the guess of who the partner will be. Now the only problem is, what will her name be? Seriously, I need ideas here. I've been working on this story since January (pre-planning), and I still haven't come up with a good name for her. Please, if anyone has any ideas, send me a message. I'll decide from there. For now, we'll just call her "Chain Chomp" or anything else I referred to her as this chapter.**

**Well, in case I don't get another chapter up in time (even though I believe I will), Merry Christmas/Happy Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Festivus/etc. everyone!**


	37. Chapter 36

***Grumbling* Okay...so I wanted to have this done...Christmas Eve. Now it is New Years Eve/Day (It just turned 2010 here in the Pacific Time Zone). I'm terribly sorry, I've had stuff going on. I was busy with trying to get plans to hang with friends tonight (which eventually failed, do to their unpredictability). I also was busy with my new scanner and tablet. And New Super Mario Bros. Wii. And Slaughterhouse - Five (Great book). And some other fun stuff I got. I also was doing scholarship stuff and college searches and all that kind of stuff during the nights. Parents want me to be ahead on this stuff, and I can't blame them. But I feel stressed, trying to do future school stuff and the like while at the same time trying to make with my leisure time to write, draw, and read. So I think I'll be taking it slow with the updates for the time being. Not sure how long this will last, but until things settle down I'll be updating this far less often, probably longer than the update between this and the last chapter.**

**But please, enjoy the chapter. It may be not what I originally intended, but it'll work I hope.**

* * *

Chapter 36: Confrontations

Mario and the others had just welcomed their new comrade, a pink Chain Chomp that had yet to be named. "I just want to wait for the perfect one to come up," Was Duplissa's excuse. No one else put up any kind of suggestions, mostly due to the continuing uneasiness and fear that was felt about having an untrained Chain Chomp among their ranks. While Duplissa assured them that she would manage to train the Chomp efficiently, there were still some doubts.

"Okay, the next chance we get, we run and ditch the beast." Graves whispered to Boone and Python. Most of the others were sure that they'd get used to the Chain Chomp, but for these three it was an entirely different story.

"I don't exactly trust her. I mean…the teeth are a dead giveaway. Now if we could just convince the others to join our side…" Boone mumbled this to the other two. Everyone else was oblivious to their conversation, instead focusing on finding their way through the castle and discovering the whereabouts of the Mega Star. As they hung behind the others, only one noticed their missing appearance. The Chain Chomp stopped its hopping and turned to look back at Boone and the others. With an apparent grin, she made her way to the three of them, much to their terror.

"Nice knowing you fellas. I suppose we'll know each other for a few seconds more." Python said as the Chain Chomp came ever so closer. She stopped right in front of them with her teeth bared in what she tried to make as a grin. Instead of having her intended effect, the three of them fainted right on the spot, causing her to bark in alarm to the others. Duplissa ran to the Chain Chomp as fast as she could.

"What the? Why are they unconscious?" she asked the Chomp. The Chomp began to whimper and showed the grin she had given them before promptly faking a faint. At this point everyone else had arrived to find three people unconscious and a Chain Chomp faking it. Duplissa turned to them and shrugged. "I found them like this. I guess that they must have been frightened by her for some reason. At least, that's what I think is what she was trying to tell me." The Chain Chomp got up and panted a bit before barking her agreement.

Mario put his face into his hand, shaking his head in embarrassment. He opened the dimension to the Partner Place and roughly threw Python, Graves, and Boone into it, not caring that they had landed in a pile on top of each other, with Boone and Python on top of the frail body of Graves. The Goonie suddenly squawked and looked around; just missing Mario shut the portal.

"I could have done that for you, Mario," Shelly commented with a laugh. "If I were to guess, they were conspiring against our newest ally." She patted the side of the Chain Chomp somewhat carefully. "Not that I can blame them…" she said under her breath.

Duplissa looked hurt at the realization of this, and began to hug the side of the Chain Chomp. "But why? She hasn't done a thing to them. I mean, she must have been trying to be friendly to them, but they took it the extreme. At least I hope."

Mario sighed. He knew that Duplissa had good judgment. But the fact that Graves, Boone, and Python had been intimidated to the point of passing out…there was an obvious problem here. He didn't want to break the poor Duplighost's heart and have the newest member kicked out so soon, but he didn't want to have to continually deal with future problems from everyone else about it.

Shelly took notice of the change in mood in Mario's face. "Mario, come over here," She led him a ways from the others, leaving Duplissa to play with her pet and William to watch as he howled with laughter at the scene unfolding. "I'm positive that our new ally will be okay. For the most part. I mean, she hasn't done a thing so far. I would have believed that if she was going to kill us, she would have already done it. She didn't attack us when the others were about to have us as a bunch of hero biscuits. That is reason enough to believe."

Mario listened to this and nodded. Her reasoning seemed to have well basing in fact.

"I would still be cautious though. She and the others looked to be a bunch of trained Chomps, made to be the perfect guards. Probably were made to follow orders. Why this one out of the entire pack went against this and stuck it out with us is beyond me. But there is still a chance that she could go and turn on us at any point. I won't say that it is going to happen but the opportunity for her to do it is definitely there. I still say that she is fine just…we should be wary."

Mario looked over to the Chain Chomp. She was currently going after a massive chew toy that Duplissa had apparently created. He smiled at the scene as it unfolded. Sighing as he turned back to Shelly, he shook his head.

"What?" She was taken aback by his response. "You really think that everything will be okay? That there won't be any problems with her?" Mario shook his head again, prompting a laugh from the Shy Gal. "I guess I'm not one to argue your opinion. You do seem to know best most of the time. How you do it, I have no clue."

Mario shrugged. He explained that it was simply instinct to him. Nothing more. Shelly smiled slightly at this and just walked off. "I don't think that anyone will be able to understand how you tick, Mario." She said.

Mario stood there for a moment, but didn't remain still for long. He moved to the end of the room and opened the doorway, motioning for everyone else to hurry on through. William blasted on his way without a pause, and the others ran in pursuit. The Chain Chomp went through last, busting her way through the small door without any loss of momentum. Mario was left standing there, confused by the sudden enthusiasm by his team. "Come on Mario, haven't we wasted enough time here?" Shelly called back to him. With a smile, the plumber ran through the opening to join the others.

* * *

"Hurry hurry hurry!" Bowser Jr. yelled in alarm to his partner in crime. Mr. L fell from his perch on the mech due to the sudden outburst. Banging his head on a scaffolding bar, he continued to fall until landing on the foot of their monstrous metal creation.

"…I think I've got a concussion."

Bowser Jr. snorted and shook his head. "Baby. Papa had me take care of the Chain Chomps in his castle when I was only a week old."

Mr. L groaned, clutching his head. He pulled himself off of the massive foot and began to climb back up the scaffolding. "So what was the hurry all about?"

Jr. scampered along the top of the head of their mech and pulled open the entrance hatch. "I just got an alert that Mario is well on his way. We've got ten minutes at best!"

Now it was Mr. L's time to panic. "What?! Why didn't you say so sooner? Get in there and get it started up, I'll finish here and get in when I'm done!" Bowser Jr. didn't give any response; he was already inside. The eyes of the mech flashed white before letting loose a continual bright shine. Electricity could be heard surging through allowing multiple gears to crank and grind against one another. A few metallic joints began to flex ever so slightly as Jr. went through a systems check.

Mr. L looked up from where he was and smiled. "Perfection…that is what we have achieved," was what he whispered to himself.

* * *

The Chain Chomp had stopped with William far ahead of everyone else. It looked like the hallway opened up into another room. "Just how far is that Star from us anyways?!" Shelly cried out in exasperation as she and the others came closer to them.

As the slowed to a stop, Mario could see why the Chomp and William had stopped. A large space was laid out before them, completely filled with massive spikes. William whistled at the sight. "Don't even ask me to get anyone across. I can't do that. And I would bet that the young cap'n of ours will not even be able to make the trip."

Mario began to feel defeated. He sat down on the edge overlooking the pit of spikes and began to think things through. Before long he was taken by his thoughts and lost contact with reality.

"…Mario…" The plumber heard someone call his name, but he paid no mind. He needed to figure out a way to get across. Now if everyone would leave him alone, he could figure that solution out. His concentration was finally broken when he was kicked off of the ledge and into the pit. Looking back up, he tried to discern just who exactly had knocked him off. He was able to catch Shelly wave at him with a smile, much to his surprise. Why had she done this? Expecting a swift death by the spikes, Mario was shocked when he hit solid metal. He began to slide off until what he was on shifted to pull him back up.

With one hand on his sore back, Mario rolled over and took a good look at what he had landed on. Laughing, he realized that it was the Chain Chomp. Her eyes rolled up to see him, and she barked when she saw that he was alright. Mario smiled and patted her gently.

"See Mario, next time listen and I won't have to do that again!" Shelly yelled from above. Now that he had the way to get across, Mario motioned for the others to get moving. Opening the rift into the Partner Place above him, he watched as the three others jumped down and into it.

* * *

"Wha? You guys are dead too?!" Graves cried out in alarm. He and the other two were stacking random objects they conceived into a massive pile that had grown quite tall.

Shelly groaned angrily and walked over to the Goonie pirate, picking him up and chucking him into the pile, resulting in its collapse onto Python and Boone, whose screams were muffled by the avalanche of miscellaneous items.

* * *

Mario steadied himself on the Chain Chomp as he made sure that he would be ready to go. A few more moments of balance, and he patted the Chomp a few times above her right eye to give her the okay to go. With a happy bark, she burst forward with unprecedented speed, resulting in Mario's body being pulled off of her and onto her chain. Grabbing hold of it for dear life, Mario hung tightly as the chain flailed around wildly for the rest of the trip across the spikes. At the end, the Chain Chomp yipped and jumped up into the connecting hall. Mario slowly let go of the chain and got on his knees. A few seconds passed and he began to get up at a snail's pace since the shock of the entire trek was having visible repercussions on him.

The Chain Chomp looked at him funny, but she shook it off and barked with as best of a smile as she could manage. Mario smiled as he panted in an attempt to catch his breath, walking over to the Chomp and petting the side of her face. He looked down the hallway before him. Not even a hundred meters away stood a massive steel door. Running to it, Mario found that there was no way to open it from the outside. Waving down his newest partner, the Chain Chomp came bounding down the length of the hall at full speed. Like a battering ram she busted through the doors with a single blow. Mario opened an eye to see that she had done this and quickly made his way inside.

The room was pitch black and Mario had no way of telling how large and how tall the space was. Fearing the worst, he called out everyone to back him up.

"Something the matter?" asked Python, the only one who could partially see in the darkness. Mario motioned for everyone to remain alert. There was no telling what might happen.

"Bwahahaha! Glad you guys could make it!" cackled a childish voice that echoed through the darkness. Mario recognized it instantly and began to desperately search the inky black shadows for the source of the voice, the son of the Koopa King, Bowser Jr.

"Let me have a turn now!" was heard next from a muffled voice, presumably from wherever Jr. was. "Ah, here we go. Mario, we get to meet once again! Hopefully you haven't forgotten about me, it hasn't even been two years yet!"

Mario nervously pulled out his hammer but began to back up. He bumped into one of his partners but made no mention of apology. He was far too frightened at the realization that Mr. L was with Bowser Jr. and would likely kill him right then and there. Much to everyone's surprise, several floodlights turned on throughout the massive chamber. They helped to illuminate the room, revealing its huge, circular area and lofty height. Perhaps the most unnerving thing was what was directly in front of them, the lights only partially revealing bits of its gargantuan size.

Everyone dropped whatever they were holding the instant they saw what they were up against. The Chain Chomp began to snivel and ran behind Duplissa. A Bowser mech, far grander than anything any of them had witnessed stood before them. Several pipes and smokestacks chugged grey smoke from various points of the body such as the horns and shell spikes. The joints were held fast by massive bolts, rods, and screws. The body itself looked like a giant armored shell of thick metal that glistened in the spots of light. The head lurched down and leered at everyone below it.

"Now there is just something I've been itching to say for quite a while now, Mario," came Mr. L's voice once again from the depths of the heavy metal monster. "Have at you!"

* * *

**I'm kind of dissatisfied with this chapter. I wanted to get straight into the boss fight originally. I wanted to just get going and fight Bowser Jr. and Mr. L, possibly making the chapter a two-parter. But with the extended periods between times I wrote this, I began to throw different ideas in to extend the wait. And this is the result. I hope you guys like it, I know I don't that much.**

**But next chapter we'll definitely see a boss fight. Extra-long chapter, FTW! So look forward to it. I'm going to have a lot of fun writing it.  
And in case anyone noticed, I still haven't named the newest partner, our little Chain Chomp friend/pet. I'm liking the ideas that you guys have given me, but I'm not sure what yet. I'll probably have it decided by the next update, but I doubt the name will be used until after the ordeal with Mr. L and Bowser Jr. is done and over with, and we get going to somewhere a little...different.**


	38. Chapter 37

**Oh my gosh it's a chapter! So yeah, I had trouble getting around to writing this throughout the month. I was really worked up about semester finals, so I could hardly get my thoughts straight to write anything. Even after finals it was difficult. But I did it finally. Took me long enough...**

**But here's what we've all been waiting for: the battle between Mario and co., and Bowser Jr. and Mr. L. Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 37: Super Giant All-Out Robot Attack

Mario and the others were backed against the wall with no idea of what to do. Here they were, standing open and waiting to be attacked by the absolutely massive metal Bowser copy that creaked in front of them.

"Shoot some missiles! We can kill them now!" Bowser Jr. screamed in excitement to Mr. L. With a devilish grin, the man in green pressed several buttons that caused the fingers of the Bowser mech to burst off and spiral wildly at Mario and his partners. Fearing the worst, they turned away. When the end didn't come, they turned their attention back to what was in front of them. The scene was shocking.

Floating in the space between the missiles and Mario was the little tin toy that he had been given several days ago. It remained completely motionless as it seemed to hold the missiles with the same mysterious force. With a strange creaking sound, the toy's little mouth opened up. The missiles slowly made their way to the figure, becoming absorbed into the frame of it and increasing its size.

Bowser Jr. and Mr. L were gaping in pure bewilderment. Jr. shook his head and started pointing wildly at the Mario toy far below them. "More missiles! Shoot that thing to kingdom come!"

"If I may object, it seems that our last missiles only made it bigger-" Mr. L was cut off by his partner.

"More missiles!" Jr. screamed. "I don't care how many it takes, just send that toy to the scrap heap!"

Knowing that he was going to get nowhere by arguing with Jr., Mr. L pressed the same button sequence to launch the finger rockets at the little figurine. Like the last time, the missiles froze in front of it and became added additions to the its size. At this point, it was just a few meters shorter than the Bowser mech in front of it, yet it looked just as tough.

Mario and his friends could only stand and stare at the behemoth before them. The Bowser mech snorted steam and began to pull back its fist. With a groan, the metal hand pushed forward to the giant Mario with a powerful punch. It came as a surprise to everyone when the punch was blocked by two metal gloves. The Mario mech had blocked the blow intended for it with startling speed.

"So this...this thing is supposed to help us?" Shelly asked to no one in particular. As if the mech was answering, a doorway slid open at the heel. Mario rushed in and looked at the surprisingly bright interior. It was pure white with light, and as he found out it actually was an elevator that would presumably take him to the head, or at least an area of control. Explaining the situation, he had Boone, Graves, the Chain Chomp, and Duplissa stay out of the way in the Partner Place. That left Shelly and William to assist Mario with whatever that may be necessary to use the mech for their advantage. Going up, they could feel the monstrous version of Mario already moving deftly against the Bowser that opposed it.

The elevator came to a stop and opened into a small control room. Mario dashed to the window that gave a view of what was going on. From what he could judge, they were inside what would be the hat. He could clearly see the glowing face of the metal Bowser in front of him. A loud suction sound could be heard before the Bowser unleashed a flamethrower from its mouth. It singed the outer frame of the Mario, but caused no visible damage.

"Ah, so you've managed to make use of my gift, have you Mario?" A familiar voice asked the plumber. Mario turned his attention away from the fight outside to focus on the visitor. As it turned out, it was a hologram of Merlon. "I can see that you are surprised to see me once again, am I correct?" Mario nodded with his mouth agape.

"You know who this guy is?" Shelly pointed to the fuzzy image of Merlon and looked between the wizard and Mario. The plumber smiled and explained the help that Merlon had given over the past years.

"Mario has been of great assistance to me in the past, and I to him. Lady Merlee had foreseen this battle and I was quick to come up with a solution to even the odds. That solution is what you current inhabit. Now then, in spite of the fact that I created this, even I do not know the extent of power it contains or the abilities it possesses. There was not nearly enough time for me to check. But I trust that you will be able to figure things out from here, am I to be correct, Mario?" Merlon cocked his head as he asked Mario this. Said plumber took a look out the window where the Bowser continued to blow a constant stream of fire at them. With a grin, he faced Merlon once more and nodded.

"Excellent!" Merlon beamed. "I do believe I must be getting going though. I shall leave the rest to you, Mario. You know what to do." As the image faded out, Mario stepped up to a platform in the center of the room. Light glowed upwards from the floor as he began to take control of the mech. Taking a step back, Mario was shocked when the robot itself took a step backwards.

"Hey, are you going to actually do anything, or are we going to have to keep torching you guys?!" Bowser Jr. could be heard raving from the opposing mech as the flames kept coming. Mario shook his head and wound up a practice punch. Thrusting forward, he drove it across the face of the enemy in front of him, sending bits of metal and screws flying across the room.

* * *

"Well, looks like he got the AI off," Mr. L commented. "But now it seems that he's an even bigger threat now. What sense does that make, he doesn't even know what its like to control this kind of machinery!"

"I don't know, but I'm not going to worry about it now!" Jr. cried in fear. He quickly began to press a few buttons as he desperately tried to get something done.

"Why?"

"Because we're about to be hit again!" Mr. L looked outside their viewing window just to see two giant fists rain down upon them and push them back against the wall.

* * *

"Nice hit, Mario!" Shelly complimented him after the double punch had connected with their target. Mario grinned and motioned for the Shy Gal and William to find other ways to help out. He knew that there had to be some extra gimmicks hidden for use in this machine. If Merlon didn't even know of the full extent of power that it contained, then there was no telling just what they may find.

"Heh heh, I wonder what THIS might do." William mused as he paused in front of a small console. Looking to make sure that no one was watching, he pressed one of the many brightly glowing buttons.

Independent of Mario's control, the super-sized version of the man in red raised both of its arms to point directly at the metal Bowser.

"Huh? What're you guys doing?!" Mr. L could be heard yelling out of the loudspeaker this time. The dinosaur straightened up and prepared to counter, this time ready after the fault from the last attack. Moments later, jets of fire burst from the edges of the "gloves." Slowly but surely they began to push off of the body, until gaining a huge boost of speed as soon as they were freed. "Oh my -" Mr. L was silenced as the fists connected to their target. One was blocked by the defending arms of the Bowser, but the other managed to nail the stomach region.

The propulsion from the attack was great enough to push the Bowser further back until it hit the wall of the castle. Even this didn't stop the fists, which continued pressing forward as stone began to crumble behind it. With a loud rumble the castle wall fell to the attack, the Bowser being thrown onto its back. The deadly spiked shell crushed the ground beneath it, creating massive depressions into the earth that caused it to become stuck in place. Realizing that the work was done, the fists reunited with the main body of the Mario "toy."

* * *

"Get us up before they attack again!" Jr. screamed at Mr. L. The Bowser mini-me kept looking nervously from the giant Mario in front of them to Mr. L, who worked at a furious pace to try and right themselves.

"It'll take a moment to warm up the shell rockets. We're going to be sitting ducks for the next few minutes as they get ready!"

Jr. shot him a worried look. "Well hurry up and do it! In the mean time I'll find a way to hold them off!" He looked down at the control console in front of him and began to look for any weapon that could be of use. "Come on! We put a ton of weapons on this thing and there isn't even a single – aha! Nevermind that last comment, I've got an idea!"

* * *

"Looks like they're stuck where they are." Shelly snickered at Bowser Jr. and Mr. L's present misfortune. She looked around the control console where she stood. "Now just what weapons do we have here? I really liked those rocket fists..." The Shy Gal drifted off of her train of thought and began to look at the levers and buttons that covered the computer in front of her. William popped up over her shoulder and looked around. "So, what else can we do? I'm not liking the time your taking, I'm an old Bullet. I could drop dead at anytime!"

Mario had been looking at the two of them and turned away, shaking his head in wonderment. He never knew someone could joke about death so lightheartedly. Looking out the window to the fallen Bowser he took note of something odd occurring. The horns seemed to be glowing a slight red, the light from them beginning to intensify in radiation the longer he looked at them. Realizing exactly what was about to happen, Mario looked around in a panic for a way out. The thick castle wall surrounded him, and the only exit area was in front of him. Unfortunately, the Bowser mech was in the way, and moving in that direction would be the worst action to make.

It was at this point that the light had reached a near-blinding level. Having already caught Shelly and William's attention, the three could now only watch as the laser weapon was fired upon them. Mario took momentary notice that it shot in a scattering burst, but that did not exempt them from being hit. Far from that, the mech was lambasted by much of the beams. Parts of the armored exterior were melted, fused, and destroyed by the powerful attack.

Mario and the two partners with him were floored by the force generated by the shots, but they managed to recover quickly. The returned their focus to the battle, but ignored an interesting development behind them. Some of the stray beams struck the castle and marred the exposed interior, except for one small shaded area that remained free of any mark of damage even though the surrounding wall was scorched. If anyone could have heard over the sounds of the fighting, one might have heard what could have only been described as a growl of frustration and anger.

"How does it feel to take such a heavy hit, Mario?" Bowser Jr. taunted over the loudspeaker of the Bowser. Inside the metal dinosaur he motioned for Mr. L to get their mech on its feet again. Booster rockets burst to life from the shell and elsewhere, allowing the Bowser to remove itself from its prison in the ground and regain solid footing. Throughout this moment, Mario had been busy making sure that his control was still good on his robot. He was thankful to find out that it was, for the most part. Articulation in the right arm seemed to be lagging after the shotgun fire of lasers, but he shook it off as a minor inconvenience.

"Mario, I DON'T know about you, but I think that that whiny, snot-nosed kid is starting to get on my nerves. Just let me out of this CONTRAPTION and I'll go give him a lesson he won't forget!"

"You know that we can do just the same from here," Shelly said dryly. "And even better, you aren't as likely to be killed! Isn't that a nice addition?" The mock cheer went completely over William's head.

"Shelly, you do SPEAK sense sometimes. Good idea, I'll just GO and whoop that punk once we whoop his giant infernal monstrosity." This earned a thumbs up from Mario, who then returned his attention back to the fight at hand. The metal Bowser had finally begun to level back out on the ground and was beginning to check over its damages.

"Hey Mario, check this out," Shelly pointed to a small icon on the control console. A Fire Flower image was plastered across it. "Fire Flower, huh? Well, it never hurts to try new things." She pressed the button for Mario, the latter whom already had a pretty good suspicion of what would come next.

* * *

"All systems go?" Jr. asked in earnest. His green-and-black clothed companion nodded.

"You betcha. Not a thing that doesn't work. Looks like that extra time put into another layer of armor was worth the investment. Now if only Mario didn't have that toy with him, we would have been set, Bowser would have finally won, and I would be living rich and famous."

Jr. gave him a look of pure absurdity. "Rich and famous? Man, I don't know what goes on in your fantasies, but they sure are exactly what they are. Fantasy."

"It could happen. I could easily get rich."

"And I could take Papa's throne," Jr. snorted. "Just stick to the present, okay? Now enough chit-chat and more explosions! Light them up with the mortars!"

* * *

As the giant Mario began to literally heat up, the Bowser fell onto all fours and raised its shell. Shelly grew wide-eyed with realization of what Jr. and Mr. L were about to do, but she knew that they could easily prevent further damage.

"Mario, I'm more than certain that those shell spikes are more than just show. More than likely they're about to launch some kind of missile or something at us. Now I think that, ah, yes, the Fire Flower is ready." Shelly ran to check the computer after hearing a high-pitched dinging sound. Sure enough, the icon of the flower glowed brightly, signifying it's readiness. Mario flexed his fingers and turned his palms facing up. Sure enough, the mech followed the actions and in no time at all two fireballs formed in its palms. He looked at the massive Bowser as it continued to rumble and chug smoke like a truck. The spikes steadily rose out from the shell and tilted in Mario's direction. From inside the Bowser, Jr. and Mr. L grinned, the both of them ready to finish this fight.

"FIRE!" cried both Shelly and Bowser Jr. in unison. At that call, Mario began to fling his arms about like a maniac, sending fireballs directly to the giant Bowser. In the exact same moment, the spikes began to blast like cannons, sending their cannonball artillery hurtling toward Mario, Shelly, and William. Many of mortars were annihilated by the fireballs, which were negated in doing so. Few managed to get through on either side, but when they did they brought unimaginable damage. One mortar managed to bust through the protective window that allowed Mario and his friends to be able to see what was going on. This particular shell happened to come straight at William. The Bullet Bill had no time to react, only taking the attack head on and crashing through the wall and out of the mech itself until he came to a stop far below on the ground, unconscious.

The Bowser mech's thick armor had begun to heat up to a point that it was beginning to partially melt off, leaving behind portions of the skeletal frame beneath it visible. On Mario's side were multiple punctures caused by the large artillery shells after they broke the rather weak armor on his robot. Mario quickly went through some movements to ensure the robot still worked. Thankfully, there was not much damage done that could have been detrimental to the joints. How it would be for the rest of the robot would be an entirely different story. Looking over to Bowser Jr. and Mr. L, it seemed as if they were having worse issues.

* * *

"What?! What do you mean that the engine is failing?" Bowser Jr. could not believe what he was hearing. If Mr. L was correct...then that meant they only had a short while left before the mech would be rendered useless. That left one option.

"Right. As I was saying, we should probably go all out and -"

Bowser Jr. put up a hand to silence him. "Quiet, I have a great idea. We're going to have a grand finale. All-weapons fire. Initiate the attack in thirty seconds."

* * *

"You don't think William is...dead, do you?" Shelly kept looking out the hole where their Bullet Bill friend had been blasted through. The Shy Gal had just asked the question they both hoped wasn't at all true. Mario sighed as he looked back, but shook his head to clear out the bad thoughts. He knew that William was tough, but could he have survived something like that? Mario sure hoped so.

Shelly would have said more, but the activity from their opponent looking more worrisome to her at the moment. "Mario...we better get moving. And I mean now, because I think they're going on a last-ditch effort to take us out." Mario looked at what Shelly was talking about, and was immediately alarmed by what he saw. The Bowser had stood back up again, only this time it was shaking uncontrollably while unveiling multiple hidden weapons on its body. The stomach opened to reveal a huge cannon, the spike mortars extended around the body for more versatile use, the finger rockets were poised to fire, and many more weapons were coming out and preparing to fire.

Shelly gulped nervously and looked to Mario for some kind of reassurance. Mario turned his head away to avoid giving any false hope to her. He knew that there had to be something that he could do...but what? Just what could that be?

As his mind raced, he began to think back to the many times he had fought the big turtle in the past. One time stuck out from all the rest, and it was from there that he came up with a solution. So he began to run at the Bowser robot. Shelly screamed at him and questioned his sanity, but he knew what he was doing. Inside the Bowser mech Jr. and Mr. L were all grins as they saw Mario run at them, believing him to have finally given up and now to be taking suicide as the best answer. They did not expect, however, for the plumber to take his robot and jump right over them. Landing right behind them, they were too slow to turn around to prevent what came next.

Mario simulated the movements that he had done many times before, grabbing the cold, metal tail of the fake Bowser and beginning to spin around and around as if he were doing a hammer throw. The Bowser began to lift up off of the ground as his speed increased, spinning faster and faster, bringing the mech higher and higher, until finally he let go, sending the Bowser flying straight up.

* * *

"Fire everything! Fire everything!" Jr. hounded his partner to act while they still could. Mr. L was working as fast as he could through the twisting and disorientation Mario wrought on them, but soon gave up and just sat back in his chair.

"We're done here." He said with a sense of finality. Bowser Jr. gave him another look and yelled at him again.

"What do you mean 'we're done here?' We're not done, we can still shoot them!"

Mr. L chuckled and shook his head. "No we can't. The systems are malfunctioning."

"M-malfunctioning?!"

"Yep. This robot is done. Toast. Finished. We lost. If I were to know any better, self-destruct will occur in a matter of seconds."

There was a moment of silence as Bowser Jr. let Mr. L's words sink in. "...Mario's a real pain in the neck."

"You got that right."

A moment later the mech blew apart in an explosion that rained fire and burning pieces of scrap metal onto the earth below. From the center of the explosion a bright light shone through. As the smoke cleared, it became evident that it was the Mega Star.

The Star stayed suspended in the air for a short time longer before it began a quick yet graceful decent to the earth. The golden light was a beautiful sight in the dark landscape, and Mario marveled at its appearance, happy that he had another in his grasp.

Once the Star made it to the ground, Mario and Shelly exited the mech and made their way to the Star. The shining object slowly rotated in place, just waiting for Mario to take it back. As the plumber reached out to grab it, his hand was smacked away by a paintbrush. Bowser Jr., covered in soot and unimaginably furious, grabbed the brush and the Star, before quickly spreading the distance between himself and Mario. When he finally stopped, it became apparent that Mr. L was with him on unsteady knees.

"Forget it, Mario. You're not getting this Star until the both of us are dead!" Jr. shouted defiantly.

* * *

**And...on to a two-part fight. I liked writing this chapter, it was a cool change-up from the norm. This chapter was a homage to all the great giant monster/giant robot movies and shows out there. Seriously, I couldn't help myself with this. Hope to have the next chapter up soon.**

**One last thing, before I forget. I encourage everyone to check out my dA page (It's in the homepage link in my profile). I have managed to get a simple drawing of Void on my tablet done, and I have to admit that it came out decently. Don't complain that there isn't enough detail to him (if you look), there's not much to him in the first place. Thanks to anyone who decides to check it out.**


	39. Chapter 38

**I have to be messing around with you guys. Really? A chapter for Paper Mario 4? The first in half a year? What is this madness?  
No jokes, I'm finally free to write. School has ended for the summer and with it has ended all the stress that my junior year of high school entitled. No more worries of homework, of Track or Cross Country (although I do have summer training), or of the infernal SAT and ACT. It's all taken care of, and I just have the summer to enjoy. The hiatus is over, and the long awaited chapter is here.**

**Because I've been out of the loop with writing for a while, this chapter isn't the longest, but it definitely isn't the shortest I've written. I believe it's a good way to get back, but to help, I'll provide a quick recap of the last chapter to reacquiant everybody.  
This is Onatu, and I would like to thank everyone for putting up with the long wait for this chapter. I'll make the rest of the story worth it for you guys!**

* * *

**Recap: Mario, Shelly and William entered the super-sized Mario toy-turned-mech and battle Bowser Jr. and Mr. L in their giant Bowser mech. After a close fight, Jr. and Mr. L had managed to nearly kill William while Mario shut down their systems. After a failed final attempt to take out Mario with an all-weapons launch, Mario finished the metal Bowser with a classic "Mario 64" tail throw that led to its self-destruction. But before Mario could take the Mega Star, Bowser Jr. and Mr. L stole it back, revealing themselves to be alive and (somewhat) well.**

Chapter 38: Victory?

Across the desolate flat of charred ground, two sides of rivals stared each other down. Mario with Shelly on one side, Bowser Jr. and Mr. L on the other. The castle behind them was wrecked, as were the once magnificent giant robots that they had been piloting only a short while before.

"You sure William will be okay?" Shelly asked Mario. The plumber ignored the question. As much as he wanted to check up on the old Bullet Bill, there was an even more important matter at hand. The Mega Star was nearly in their grasp, but by some miracle Bowser Jr. and Mr. L had survived the self-destruction of their pride and glory, a super-sized Bowser robot. The silence Mario gave Shelly was unsettling to her.

"If you can't check up on him, at least have someone else do it for you!" she screamed. Mario sighed, knowing the Shy Gal was right. He opened up the Partner Place to get someone to help...

"Hey Mario! Hurry up, old man!" Jr. taunted from across the shadowy landscape. He waved his paintbrush menacingly, but broke down into an uncontrollable coughing fit.

Mr. L couldn't have felt more disgraced. "Brobot would have never fallen under these circumstances," he said. Jr. looked up as he continued to hack up soot. "Why I agreed to have a partner like you, I don't believe I shall ever understand."

"It wasn't...it wasn't your choice...I thought." Jr. was wheezing his head off. Mr. L smirked and smacked Jr.'s shell. The force was enough to allow the last of the smoke out of the Koopa prince's lungs.

"Dimentio let me pick. You had experience, and it'd be easy to get you to help out. Turns out I was wrong."

Bowser Jr. was infuriated by this. He picked himself back up and pointed his paintbrush at Mr. L. "Take that back, second place."

"Second place?"

Jr. snorted. "What, you really don't know, Luigi? It's only obvious. You're Mario's brother, only brainwashed. Is it really that hard to figure out? You're second banana to him, a mere shadow of who he is. I can see that even when you aren't the coward that you're supposed to be, you still are useless and weak." Mr. L said nothing. Instead, he gained the slightest of grins.

"I knew that already," he said with an eerie calmness. "It wouldn't have been very difficult for me to figure out if Dimentio hadn't already told me. And to be truthful, I don't care. I'm not going back. And I know that I am superior to Mario, he just always has some kind of advantage that I don't know about. Not only am I better than that plumber, I'm better than you."

"Oh why don't you shut it!" Jr. shouted. He flicked the paintbrush, allowing some of the paint to drip onto the ground with a sizzle as it ate away at the earth. Mr. L seemed unfazed at the threat. Instead, he continued to stand with his arms crossed defiantly. This was far too much for Bowser Jr. to tolerate.

"Papa was right! Die you miserable burden!" With a swing of the brush, Jr. nailed Mr. L in the side. He hit so hard that Mr. L was sent rocketing over the lava moat and far off into the burnt land. Jr. sighed when he was done, taking a look at Mario's reaction.

Mario was biting his lip, trying his best not to give in to any emotions that would cause him to make a brash decision. He had heard everything that was said, given that it wasn't difficult to hear them scream in the first place. Shelly looked on with horror between Mario and Bowser Jr.

"Mario...I'm sorry about that..."

"Huh?" Graves looked up. Mario had let him out to take care of William. He hadn't quite heard everything, mostly because he was too engrossed in making sure that the Bullet Bill was alright. Thankfully it looked to be so, although he would probably be unable to fight for a while. Or move.

"So what do you think about this Mario? I'll kill you and your friends, right here and right now. I'll do what Papa could never do...and he'll be proud." Jr. smiled at the thought of such an outcome. "It's the only acceptable outcome here anyways. There's no way you guys will get the Star," he motioned to the glowing object. "And there's no way you can beat me. So that leaves with me killing you all!" He flung a glob of paint out, creating a sickening blob-like piranha plant from the center.

Shelly made a face at the oozing lifeform. "Okay, that's disgusting. Any ideas, Mario?"

Mario did in fact have an idea. Unfortunately, he didn't have FLUDD on him (He had returned the little backpack to E. Gadd several years back), but he had the next best idea. Rummaging through his available items, he fell upon good fortune: there was a leftover Fire Flower from who knows when. Pulling the plant from his pocket, he gently set it on the ground, earning a guffaw from Bowser Jr.

"That? You're going to use that to help you? A little Fire Flower won't do a thing to me, much less my pollution plant. I suggest you try a little harder at putting up a decent fight so that I don't have to exaggerate much to Papa."

Mario stood up confidently, staring down Jr. and his pollution as he awaited for the Fire Flower to unleash its potential. Shelly nervously looked from Bowser Jr. to Mario, waiting anxiously for something to happen.

"Er...Mario, are you sure?..." Mario held a hand up to silence her. Getting the hint, Shelly backed down and continued to watch.

The Fire Flower had held its power long enough to reach its maximum, at this point now causing the air surrounding it to ripple with heat. Jr. smirked as it fired a barrage of hundreds of fire pellets in his direction, the majority striking the pollution plant. Each hit sizzled against the skin of the plant, causing it to roar in pain as the fire soon engulfed it. The assault soon caused the impact zone to be obscured by smoke, and only the dying cries of the pollution plant were able to be identified.

As Mario and Jr. watched the smoke clear, neither had any clue what the outcome would be. However a shriveled corpse of a massive weed soon revealed whose attempt had proven successful. Jr. cried in frustration and charged Mario, flailing acidic paint in every direction.

"Mario! I've had it with your butting in on everything Papa and I do! You wreck our ideas, our plans, and our dreams! And unlike my father, I am fed up with it!"

Mario brandished his hammer, silently warning Jr. to halt his rampage, but it was obvious from the start that the Koopa would not heed the warning. Shelly stumbled back to safety with Graves and William, taking refuge among the scraps of the robots. The paint globs were fizzling out wherever they landed, but not before they removed a good inch from their landing areas.

Mario began to run to Jr., and the two met with clashing weapons. Contempt burned in Jr.'s eyes, the fury of past defeats culminating to this moment. Mario stared back, unfazed in the face of what could be his doom. Pure determination to succeed and save the world were what fueled Mario to push forward and overcome his enemies, and such mentality was going to help him again.

Even before the tides turned, Bowser Jr. saw that his cause was lost. Then his grasp wavered ever so slightly, but enough to give Mario the leverage to yank the paintbrush from his hands. As Jr. stumbled, Mario swiftly ducked and swung with a kick from below, knocking Jr. onto his back. The paintbrush fell to the ground and the plumber kicked it aside so as to be out of Jr.'s reach. Pulling back, Mario held his hammer high above Bowser Jr., ready for the finishing blow.

"Go ahead," Jr. spat. "Finish the job. I can only go home to Papa as a failure, so why bother with it? Just end me here so that I may die with what little dignity I have left." Mario swung down, slamming the hammer into the earth beside Jr. The Koopa prince flinched, expecting the worst but was instead left confused by the feeling of life. Mario began to walk away to meet with his partners. Jr. sat up, furious at the plumber.

"What, that's it? You coward! You're refusing to finish me off? You'd rather I stay alive to torture another day? Or does the thought of killing me sicken you? You've killed before, so what makes this time any different, huh? Answer me!"

Mario ignored the seething Bowser Jr. and continued on to Shelly and the others. He was met with the shocked and uncertain faces of Shelly and Graves, along with an unconscious William. He smiled weakly at the two and grabbed William, sending the Bullet Bill off to the Partner Place to rest away from danger.

"Mario...what about Bowser Jr.?" Shelly asked, receiving only a shrug as a response. Bowser Jr. perked up when he heard the Shy Gal.

"Yeah, Mario! What about me? Just do it already! Kill me! Just go and -" The sound of solid wood cracking against a hard surface was heard after Mario threw his hammer in Jr.'s direction, silencing the Koopa.

"You didn't just-" Mario shook his head to reassure Goonie pirate. This earned a collective sigh between Shelly and Graves, thankful that the kid wasn't dead.

"Then he's only unconscious. That's good, but are you really about to leave him here?" This time, Mario nodded. Walking to the slumped over Koopa, Mario rummaged through his supplies until he found what he desired: the Mega Star.

Shelly rejoiced when she saw the glowing star. "That means...that means we have only one left until we can save the world!" Mario grinned at her, happy to hear optimism for the first time in a while. Graves joined in on the celebration, patting Mario on the back for a job well done.

Mario took out the Star Navigator once again, it's penultimate use for storage being fulfilled. As the Mega Star shone brightly before being absorbed into the domed top of the Navigator, the projected map once again appeared. The continent of the Old Mushroom Kingdom lost fullness as it zoomed closer to the present location of Mario and co., displaying the Star they just retrieved upon what was the former castle in the area. The Star disappeared, signifying its successful capture. The map zoomed out again, this time moving eastward towards the edge of the kingdom. The final Mega Star appeared, and the map closed in on the location. Several pagodas sprung up along with a large structure designed much like the pagodas were.

"So we're going to the fringes of this place?" Shelly asked. Graves shrugged indifferently.

"Seems so. I'm curious though, what are all those buildings about. They have a such a different design when compared to...well, just about anything. I've been all over, and I don't recall ever seeing a town or city with such a unique structure. Call me interested, that's for sure." Shelly looked at the Goonie disdainfully.

"You do realize that you won't have any time to explore, right? We'll likely need to grab the Star and get out, preferably without any kind of enemy interference. With our luck, Bowser already has someone stationed there just waiting for us to arrive."

Mario nodded his agreement. Victory never came easily, and he was not surprised. Now if only this last time would be easy, he would be at peace. A bad feeling in the back of his head seemed to say otherwise. Shelly was equally worried, but that wasn't stopping her enthusiasm for the final leg of their search.

"So what now? We head off to this place and make a grab for the Star, then go and kick Bowser's gargantuan rear? But...just how are we going to get there?" Mario held up a finger to ask for a moment, opening up the alternate dimension housing the others.

At the present time William was asleep, Boone and Python were busy having "rock, paper, scissors" matches to pass the time, and Duplissa was tending to the as-of-yet unnamed pink Chain Chomp. Mario stepped inside and approached Duplissa and her pet with a very specific request in mind.

"You want Rose to carry you guys to the next Star? So you got it?" Duplissa's squeals of excitement earned the attention of everyone else, except for William, of course.

"You beat that rotten kid?" Boone asked incredulously. "Don't get me wrong, I assumed you would. Still, that means that there's only one Mega Star left? One more left and then...this will all be over." Boone quickly became depressed as he mulled over the thought of the journey ending, leaving Python to attempt to counsel the Boomerang Bro.

Meanwhile, Duplissa was agreeing to loan her newly dubbed pet, "Rose," to Mario's aid. "Just make sure that she doesn't get too dirty," was her condition. Mario rolled his eyes and led the Chain Chomp outside of the Partner Place and back into the dreary world.

Scrambling atop the Chomp, Mario motioned for the other two to join him. Shelly and Graves did, albeit awkwardly as they tried to find a comfortable way to sit upon Rose. With a whistling signal from Mario, Rose took off to the bridge that the group had crossed only a short while ago. The lava bubbled and churned below, but in this moment of new-found confidence there was nothing to stand in their way. But instead of continuing east, Mario steered Rose around the outer edge of the moat, looking for a certain person.

It wasn't long before the Green Thunder was spotted. Mr. L was collapsed on the barren, black earth with little signs of life left in him. Mario slid down the side of Rose, who yipped happily as she saw Mr. L lying down, nearly dead.

Mario pulled Mr. L over his shoulder, supporting limp body with his own as he opened the Partner Place as one final option. Sending his brother-turned-unwilling-villain into the white depths of it, he told the others inside to keep a close eye on both him and William.

"You actually think that Luigi might still be saved?" Graves questioned as Mario climbed back on Rose. The Plumber clicked his heel against her forehead and sent her off carrying everybody to the east.

"Don't get me wrong," Graves said to back himself up. "I have no problem with you bringing him again. Luigi's a great guy, one of the best friends a guy can ask for. But last we checked, which was not that long ago, he was still under that crazed Dimentio's hypnosis and raving as Mr. L. That kind of change in personality is not easy to revert, and I'm not even sure if it can be truly done."

"Graves, just leave it be," Shelly cautioned. "We'll let Mario figure out what he wants to do with his brother. I'm sure he wants to save Luigi, and so we will all do our best to help him to do just that. Even more reason why you will not be able to relax and explore where we are headed." Graves jumped off of Rose and began to fly alongside her, but a distance away from Shelly.

"You know, you can be a real downer when you want to." Graves said. The Shy Gal laughed.

"It's the price I pay for intelligence. When you get to be smart, everything becomes depressing. That, and you just don't want anyone else to have fun."

"Being smart really does all of that?"

"Maybe not all of that. I suppose most of that is just because I have fun antagonizing you."

Mario smiled as the two began to bicker. He had his brother back, even though he may not be mentally sound just yet. He had all but one Mega Star left, leaving Bowser as the only other obstacle. And he had his friends still with him. It just seemed that nothing could make the outcome of the future terrible.

* * *

In the remaining section of castle where the mechs had first began their struggle, only one portion remained perfectly unblemished and unmarred by the effects of battle, somehow defying all reason and explanation. From the depths of the dark, stone wall, what sounded like a cough and a laugh emanated from within.

"The plan is coming together and I must work quickly. Not much time is left, and I need as much time as I can get to prepare..." said a dry, raspy voice. The dimensions of the wall began to alter, as if the fabric of space and time was twisted around what could best be described as a black hole. In a split-second a black entity was sucked in and the distortion ended, returning the ruined landscape to quiet desolation once more.

* * *

**So what do you guys think? Yes, again this wasn't my best work, but can you expect anything less? I came back, I think that's all that really matters.  
I should be getting back on a somewhat regular schedule, and be churning these out to the point that this story will be done in a matter of weeks. Look forward to it, and I'll see you guys next time!**


	40. Chapter 39

****

This is absolute insanity. A chapter? From me? Who would have guessed? But yes, I'm back from the dead. Oh boy, it's been FAR too long. Too much has happened, but at least things are slowing down...for the time being. Hey, my hard work has paid off, I've applied to ten colleges, heard back from five, and been accepted to all five with varying scholarships, all quite large sums. It's been somewhat difficult, but it's been worth it so far.  
Not only that, but school has been prioritized as well. Add that with running, my social life, and just life in general, and you can imagine how chaotic things have been. All the same, my senior year has been running smoothly (spare some...minor problems), but I can confidently say I think I'm in a good mood to write. Without further prolonging it, here's the long awaited update!

Chapter 39: The Ninja and the Samurai

For days now Rose had been bounding across the landscape relentlessly. The Chain Chomp could not have been more pleased when she first spotted the looming shapes of buildings in the distance. Barking like mad, she mustered enough energy to pick up her speed in order to hasten the team's arrival. Mario and Shelly were nearly overwhelmed by the influx and they barely managed to hang on to the Chain Chomp's back.

"Woah, taking it a little faster now, huh?" Graves laughed from his position in the sky. "Let's make it a race then!" The Goonie dived to the ground to gain speed, raising himself ever so slightly as he descended. It was not long before he caught up to the others and actually surpass them, waving to Mario and Shelly as they tried their hardest to cling to the Chomp's back.

Their destination was reached quickly, the towering pagodas rising in a small location of bare trees and little grass. The land had remained mostly consistent the entire trip out, from Bowser Jr.'s castle to this final town. Dry, stark, and blackened, the slight improvement was more than welcome to the group. Graves arrived first, taking a perch upon a tall gate that held a remarkably similar design and style to the rest of the buildings, not that he didn't expect as much.

When Rose barreled through the gate with Mario and Shelly, Graves jumped away in fear that she was going to tear the gate apart. While she did not, it took a few seconds' time for her to realize that she could stop. Taking a sudden halt in her movement, she slammed into the ground to stop herself, resulting in Mario and Shelly flying head over heels from atop Rose, the two of them collapsing into the ground in a heap.

"...Thanks Rose." Shelly said while she picked herself up and tried to hold back from chastising the Chain Chomp. Mario pushed himself from the ground and swiped at the dust and leaves that clung to his overalls. Graves came to a more permanent rest upon the ground near Mario and began to take a better look of the surrounding landscape.

"Looks like we hit the place on the map. Same buildings, same look and everything." Mario scanned the area as Graves spoke to him, taking in what they had to deal with at the moment. Surprisingly, there was not a soul moving about. It almost was like a ghost town, and with the dark skies and dead flora. The pagodas and the larger central building were just a short walk away, but none of them appeared to have lights or any sign of life.

"So...is everyone dead or something?" Shelly asked. "I cannot imagine why...it just would not make sense. Unless, perhaps Bowser decided to take things into his own hands? He could have sent some elite forces here and removed whatever was holding the Mega Star and taken it into his custody."

Mario grimaced at the thought, but pulled out the Star Navigator as a precaution. He let the map appear and watched the star icon flash into place again. With a sigh of relief, the image showed itself to be in their location, particularly the massive, central structure in this town.

"So we're okay?" Graves asked as he cautiously scanned every corner and window of the buildings. He had an uneasy feeling that would not go away. While he was not sure what or where, he had the strangest feeling that all eyes were on them, particularly himself.

Mario, believing the town to be uninhabited, let every able-bodied person out of the Partner Place dimension to help out. As he reasoned, a greater number of them would allow more ground to be covered so that the Mega Star would be found quickly.

Out came Boone, Python, and Duplissa. Mario looked within the rift and spied William and Mr. L, the both of them still out cold. William appeared far better off than he had before, and in fact seemed to be rested peacefully. It was amazing, but the old Bullet Bill was still pulling through. Mr. L, or perhaps Luigi...Mario was not sure what to call him at the moment. He hoped that there was an off chance of reawakening his brother from within the recesses of Mr. L's mind. Just how he would manage that was a mystery to him.

"Are we splitting up now?" Boone asked around. Mario took a quick head count just to be sure everyone was with him, even though he was certain of it already. Satisfied, he motioned to let the team head off. Graves took off from his perch and flew to a nearby structure to scout, swooping around each level to get a good look within. Each time, there was nothing but darkness within and a very few, if any, pieces of interest within. Mostly just plain wooden interior with some sparse decor.

Graves landed atop the highest point of the building, which actually was one of the shortest structures around the area as he saw. Taking a moment to view the scenery, he began to come to a realization.

"Wait...this looks familiar. Oriental look...ninjas? As much as that'd be interesting, there's just no way..." Graves continued to mull over his ideas, unaware to the fact that he was being watched. A figure in purple slowly crept from the edge of the roof, sword sheathed to their back. A pair of beady, black eyes cautiously stared at Graves' back as the Goonie enjoyed the expansive view. As stealthily as possible it took slow, quiet steps towards the Goonie, unsheathing its sword in its approach.

It wasn't until the last possible moment that Graves noticed the figure. With a cry of surprise, he whipped his sword around as metal met metal, creating enough force to knock him from his perch.

Taking control, Graves glided as far as he could, but was caught off guard once more as the figure jumped atop him. Graves twisted about to knock the attacker off, quickly achieving success before he was sliced by its blade. The purple figure crashed to the earth, and only then was Graves able to make a rough identification of his assailant.

"A Ninji?" came Graves' bewildered response as he landed near the fallen warrior, who appeared unconscious. "And yet, it doesn't surprise me." As if the words stung the Ninji, it quickly opened its eyes with a vicious glare to Graves, springing back upon its feet with grace. The Ninji set their stance, ready to slash at the pirate.

"You're just not goin' to give up, are ye?"

If Graves wanted a response, he sure was not going to get one. The Ninji charged, wildly cutting the air in a desperate attempt to disable their opponent. Graves expertly sidestepped the attacks, blocking only when necessary against the stabs that came far too close for his comfort.

"Come on then! Why can't ye land a hit on me?"

The Ninji cried in fury, springing tens of feet into the air. Graves grabbed for a small bomb he had been holding. As he threw the bomb, another Ninji interfered, grabbing the explosive and then kicking the attacker to the ground.

Graves watched stunned as the newcomer threw the bomb away, letting it explode safely in the air. Expecting the Ninji to finish the first's fight, Graves was surprised when it turned away to console the Ninji that attacked him. Or rather, chastise.

"You fool," he hissed to his counterpart. The smaller Ninji had previously been getting to their feet, but at these words they fell back down in shame. There was no doubt they had committed an unforgivable act.

"I had trained you to restrain your temper. And above that, to resist killing your opponent, no matter who they may be!"

"I...I'm sorry, Sensei. Forgive me for my act of rashness," said the Ninji, her voice giving away her gender. She refused to look her superior in the eye, but turned to gaze at Graves. The pirate couldn't be certain what her attitude towards him was, but he was almost certain they would not be on the best of terms.

By this time, Mario and the rest of the team had arrived on the scene, but they were not alone. Several other Ninjis escorted them to the apparent leader, the Sensei. Graves was relieved to see they were not harmed, nor did they appear to be threatened at all by the Ninjis. He had to wonder how Rose hadn't The Sensei finished his talk with the Ninji girl and gave his attention to the others.

"It's not often we receive visitors. Our humble village is not a usual stopping point for tourists...or anyone else, for that matter." The Sensei shrugged indifferently, as if it did not matter. "Nonetheless, I welcome you. I do apologize for the behavior of Janine, she's not the most level-headed. Of course, that's what our training is for."

Graves ruffled his feathers and sighed. "I hope that the lass isn't prone to these things. Even being a pirate, I'm used to some nicer welcome wagons." Janine visibly smirked at this remark. The Sensei didn't seem to notice her, nor did he seem to hear Graves' comment for that matter. The Ninji merely smiled and waved everyone to follow him as he began walking away.

"Come now, I do insist. I know exactly what you are here for, and I believe our leader might be of assistance."

Graves stared at the retreated Ninji and turned to express his shock with Mario. The plumber appeared equally taken aback, but shrugged it off and followed after the Sensei. There was a murmur of uncertainty among the others, but they put aside their fears and went with the Sensei, leaving Graves alone with Janine.

Janine remained rooted to the ground, staring at the earth by her feet. She huffed angrily and shot a glare towards Graves. The Goonie stiffened at her action and watched as she sprang to her feet and rushed him, her blade poised to attack. Before he could react, she stuck her katana against his head, blunt side rubbing against his feathers.

"You are very lucky to have the Sensei's favor. The Samurai...he will be a different story."

Graves blinked as he processed her words. "The Samurai? And who might that be?"

"Someone well beyond the skill level of any of your group. Everyone here knows of his power, amplified by the Power Star he possesses."

"Power Star? So then he's-"

"-A minion of the Koopa King, yes." Janine pulled her katana away from Graves and sheathed it. "Everyone here has been expecting Super Mario to arrive. Ever since the Samurai came several months ago, things have not been the same. Just take this as a warning: your team must turn back. For your safety, it is best that you leave before the Samurai sees you."

"You're telling me this why? Because it appears to me you have been attempting to kill me several times in just a short while. I would suspect you would want me and the others dead, and this Samurai fellow would do the job."

Janine's facial expression hardened at these words. She began walking away from Graves, shaking her head all the while.

"I do my job. My job is to protect this village, and at the moment, that includes protecting the Samurai. If I fail my job, he kills me. That is simply how it works now. It would almost serve everyone better if you all just left us be."

"Good luck with that," Graves scoffed. "We came for the Power Star. We intend to save the world from Bowser's plan and we intend to do it. We got six Stars already, so I don't see how this cannot be any different."

"Then I wish you all the best of luck."

Graves watched as Janine hopped away in pursuit of the others. He knew Mario would need to know what they were dealing with, and immediately flew after Janine in hopes of catching up with the group.

…...

"Welcome to the Dojo," The Sensei greeted Mario's gang as several Ninjis slid the doors open to the building dubbed the "Dojo." Everyone gasped in awe at the lanterns hanging from the wall and the beautiful artwork adorning the walls. A throne sat on the opposite side, but it was presently unoccupied. Several Ninjis busily scurried to make sure it was free of grime and other filth.

The Sensei beckoned everyone to enter and sat them a few feet away from the throne. Graves arrived last, squawking as he darted through the closing doorway. Shelly and Boone gave him a look of disdain as the Goonie crumpled into a heap on the floor after missing his landing. Rose yipped giddily as Graves moaned and pulled himself back onto his feet.

"Never will I fall behind from the group again. Not the wisest of choices," Graves said as he situated himself with everyone else. The Sensei smiled pleasantly as he saw all were accounted for.

"Very well. I shall fetch our leader, the Samurai. He will be very eager to speak with you. He has been waiting to help you finish your quest, Mario."

"This guys sounds like quite the patient one then," commented Shelly.

The Sensei nodded and hurried away to another room, shutting the door as he exited. As everyone waited for the Sensei and his mysterious leader to return, Graves grabbed Mario's attention.

"Hey uh, Mario, I don't know if you were filled in or anything but...this Samurai guy has the Power Star that we need."

Mario nodded. The Sensei had filled him in on the situation. The Samurai had come several month prior, bringing peace to the trouble countryside that the Ninjis inhabited. He had filched the Power Star from a minion of Bowser and assassinated the creature when it wasn't looking. As Mario recounted this story to Graves, the Goonie shook his head in disbelief.

"That is definitely not what I heard. That little Ninji girl, the one who attacked me? She warned me this guy was our target, that he had enslaved the Ninjis and had been awaiting our arrival in order to destroy us with the Power Star. She said that we needed to get out of here before he could..."

The voice of Graves was drowned out by the resonance of gongs that rang through the building. The Sensei calmly walked out of the door he had made his exit from. Seconds later, a newcomer entered the area.

He was tall, at least twice as tall as anyone else in attendance. At his hip lay two swords that remained sheathed. His face was masked, leaving only his piercing black eyes to stare at everyone. Atop his head lay a crown, the Power Star clearly encapsulated as its primary "jewel." He looked very much like a denizen of Flipside or Flopside, his limbs made up of cascading rectangles ending in armored gauntlets. The rest of his body was heavily armored, but he moved with ease to the throne, the individual pieces clinking and grinding together in rhythmic fashion. As he took a seat, he lazily cast his gaze directly towards Mario. Seeing the large "M" emblazoned on his hat made him sit erect in the throne, obviously interested in what he saw.

"Mario...to what do I owe the pleasure of you visiting this village. No wait, don't tell me. I love to guess. Is it...this?" He pointed to the Power Star in his crown almost in a taunt. Mario wasn't quite sure where the Samurai was going with this, but nodded all the same. The Samurai chuckled.

"Of course you want this. It's the very last one you need. And then destinies will intertwine and your team will confront Master Bowser. And of course...that's exactly why you can't have it."

With unparalleled speed, twenty Ninjis sprang from secret doorways in the floor and surrounded Mario and the others. Everyone was in shock at the sudden move, even Graves. Rose growled threateningly at the Ninjis, but they refused to back away. The Samurai laughed loudly this time and rose up from his throne.

"Your path ends here. These highly skilled warriors will be more than a match for your combined might. I do believe I shall leave you all to your doom now; I'm not one to enjoy watching violent deaths. That is, unless I do it myself. Sayonara."

The Samurai laughed once again and fled through the doorway which he entered. Graves tried to fly after him but was knocked to the ground by one of the Ninji.

"Looks like there's no way getting out of this fight," said Graves. "These guys will fight for their lives. We're probably going to have to do the same."

* * *

**So that's that. Next chapter we'll be catching up on a few fronts that have been neglected (Luigi, plus what's been going on in Bowser's Castle) and the boss fight. Well, you guys will see what happens. I can't say what, but there'll be a nice twist of things for everyone. Think of it as my gift to you guys for waiting so patiently for this chapter. I mean this one was well over half a year in the making, wasn't it? The next won't even be a month, I guarantee it.**


	41. Chapter 40

**Okay, so that wasn't exactly a month before I updated again. More like two months. Sorry guys, this is just becoming a real chore to get going when I write it. Once I get going, it becomes easier of course. But I just get so bored of the idea of writing it, and I hate that. I really want to finish this story. I don't like leaving stuff unfinished. And I won't let this go unfinished. It will be completed ASAP.**

**Enough of me begging for forgiveness; here's a long-awaited chapter for you guys.**

* * *

Chapter 40: Dawn of a New Dynasty

Mario and company had to face it: they were surrounded. At least twenty Ninjis encircled everyone, unyielding and ready to cut them all down to size. Mario was uncertain as to what he should do. He believed they could defeat the Ninjis, but he didn't know how long that might take. For all he knew, he and the others might be overwhelmed and lose the fight here. He hoped it wouldn't have to come to that.

Rose's persistent growls had grown to deafening barks by this point, and yet the Ninjis continued to remain stoic and ready for combat. Everyone else readied for the fight. Well, all except Python.

The sound of scraping claws distracted Shelly from her focus on the enemy in front of her. Twisting around she caught Python furiously shredding the floorboards and eventually kicking dirt up from the ground beneath them. He didn't even bother looking at Shelly when he answered, as he was far too absorbed in his own work.

"One must always have a plan B. And this happens to be mine."

"And you're bailing on the rest of us? Just like that?"

Python hesitated for only a moment before he continued with his task. "Something like that," he replied.

Shelly huffed in exasperation and returned her focus to the Ninjis. They appeared uncaring that Python was mounting an escape and proceeded on advancing towards the rest of the group. Rose obviously had had enough from them and lashed outwards, viciously snapping her massive set of jaws at the enemy. She managed to nab one and bit down with such a force that the Ninji instantly exploded into a cloud of dust. The two that escaped her attack sprang back at her and furiously swiped their swords at her hide, resulting in a pair of clangs as the blades hit. Much to the Ninjis' surprise, cracks quickly spread across their swords as they promptly shattered.

While Rose seemed to have the easiest of fight, everyone else was taking the battle roughly. Shelly and Duplissa were tag-teamed but were forced to retreat from the slashes of the Ninji. Shelly encouraged her Duplighost friend to use her powers to create something that might assist them, and with a sudden burst of confidence the younger girl drew up a pair of shields to take the blows. The Shy Gal took an immediate liking to hers, ramming through the Ninjis she caught unaware while others jumped out of the way. This left Duplissa to fend for herself, as her confidence fell once more and she was forced to squeeze against the wall and cover with the shield.

Boone found early on in the fight that his boomerang was of no use in the air. Reluctantly, he took up utilizing his prized tool as a handheld weapon of sorts, which proved to be surprisingly effective against the onslaught of Ninjis he faced. Five circled around him and closed in for a synchronized kill. A last ditch idea sprang to Boone's mind as he spun on his heels, boomerang out, and deflected each of the katanas from the approaching Ninjis, disarming some of them. Startled, they withdrew and began to regroup for a second round against Boone. Before the majority of them could make it, they were pelted in the head by several hammers. Boone grinned as he saw Mario's bold move to back him up.

Mario didn't have time to help Boone further. A Ninji ambushed him from behind and swept his feet with a bo staff. Mario fell to the ground with a shout of surprise while the Ninji continued to batter his body with the staff. Graves came to Mario's rescue, fleeing the two Ninjis he was already preoccupied with and rammed the other one off of Mario's fallen form. He was relieved to find the plumber was alright, even though he was somewhat beaten. After helping Mario to his feet, Graves returned his attention to the Ninjis surrounding them.

"Come at me, you crazed traitors!" Graves' challenge didn't remain unheard. Every Ninji changed their focus onto the Goonie for their attack, jumping in synchronized waves to use their numbers as an advantage. Before they could so much as to scratch Graves, he flew out of their reach. The Ninjis collapsed in a heap of purple bodies and metal, many of them finished by this feint.

What remained of the Ninjis seemed poise to attack, but they froze in their positions, fear playing through their eyes. They found it difficult to move all of a sudden and it became apparent why: their feet had been bound to the floor with metal bands. Not all of the Ninjis were afflicted by this, but those they were found themselves hopelessly stuck. Struggle as they did, they were disheartened to see their imprisonment as being completely inescapable.

Once again scraping claws could be heard throughout the room as several floorboards were shredded through the force of Python's digging abilities. The secret agent pulled his hefty body from the hole and wiped a few specks of dirt from his suit. Readjusting his glasses, he observed the situation and nodded approvingly.

"Just how I hoped. Come on now, lass." A Ninji pulled herself from the hole, catching the surprise of everyone else in the room. Sure enough it was Janine, Graves' Ninji assailant. Graves was more than taken aback by this development.

"Ya mean to say she's working with us now? Really? Of all people..." The Goonie shook his head, muttering a few more disapproved thoughts on the matter. Putting aside his displeasure, Graves returned his attention to the Ninjis below that remained free. They were coming out of their stupor and beginning to reaffirm their targets to attack. With his free hand, Graves pulled a bomb out and watched it burn in his singed hand. With moments left before it exploded, he threw it at a Ninji that was about to get the jump on Duplissa.

The strike reminded everyone of what was actually happening, restarting the fight almost instantly. But it would not be long before the fighting would end. With many of the Ninjis now unable to do much more than defend themselves and swing their swords helplessly, the enemy knew it was clearly out-matched. Janine quickly proved her worth to the team, striking many of her fellow Ninji in order to show her ability to be trusted. But it she wasn't immune to what she was doing. The pain of harming her friends and allies was too much, so she resorted to what she could think of as being the next best thing: disabling them for the time being so they would not be a hassle later on.

Each Ninji proceeded to fall, one by one. They were clearly not dead; they had not burst into puffs of smoke. Janine finished her work on at least half of the enemies present before she forced herself to stop. Clenching her eyes shut in grief, she sprang towards the door where the Samurai had fled through, but she didn't open it. Instead, she stood by and faced it, waiting for the others to hurry and finish the job and spare her the pain.

Every other Ninji had paused in their frenzy to look after their disparaged friend. They weren't sure at this point whether to call her a traitor or the bravest of them all. Mario took advantage of the pause in order to finish the job. He took the nearest Ninjis and jumped atop each of their heads, repeating the process as many times as he could until they swatted him off. Of course, by that point it was too late for that group of Ninjis and they burst into clouds of smoke. Shelly cheered despite her apparent exhaustion from the last few battles and rammed a few more Ninjis to secure a victory. It was just a few more swoops from Graves and the threat was vanquished.

Mario's team regrouped at this point, taking care to avoid the unconscious bodies of the remaining Ninjis, which thankfully numbered quite high. Janine took notice of the prolonged silence and tilted her head to see Mario approaching the door with the others. He gave her a sincere look of apology and returned his focus to the door.

"It will open if you just push," Janine quietly advised. "The Samurai was never one for security. He thought himself as being far too powerful to worry about an intruder. From here, his main quarters are down the way and to the right. There is a solid wood and steel door barricading his room from everyone else. In most cases it would be impossible to break through. I do believe we may have a shot at it with the variance of abilities your friends have. Perhaps the Chain Chomp?..."

Rose yipped at the recognition of the term. She squirmed to get a closer look at Janine and gave a big toothy grin to the Ninji girl. Janine smiled slightly from underneath her face mask. 'So this is what trust from others feels like...I hope I won't fail them unlike I have my own people...' Her thoughts empowered her and brought on a greater sense of strength than she had known before.

"My, the native denizens here sure take their sweet time, don't they?" The Samurai had himself sprawled across a custom throne he built. A mug of shroom-shake swirled as he lazily twirled his right hand. His left remained positioned at the hilt of his blade.

"I would not have expected Mario to have put up so much a fight!" He laughed hysterically as a thought occurred to him. "Now if only they managed to win! What a laugh, to fight head-to-head with that foolish plumber! It would be a simple battle, no questions asked. Er...as long as he is alone. And unarmed."

A slam against his barricade shocked him from his musings. The mug dropped from his hand and shattered on the steps in front of him. Gulping in fear, he clutched his sword and sat erect on his throne. Another slam soon echoed in his chamber, and a dent appeared on the door. Before long the door was trembling violently as attack after attack hit the face of it, slowly contributing an array of dents which surely weakened the barricade's strength.

The Samurai knew he had no chance from the start. He was a natural-born coward, with only haughty arrogance and a knack for acting helping him to conquer the indigenous Ninjis. When he was hired by Bowser, he never believed Mario would have made it so far. When the red plumber finally arrived, fear was all he knew. No matter how much he fooled himself and others into thinking otherwise, the Samurai had always feared this confrontation. And now it was finally at hand.

With a final blow to the severely damaged door, Rose knocked it from the secure placing it held. The metal and wood barricade fell in a crumpled heap accompanied by splinters and shrapnel from the walls holding it back. Rose jumped excitedly atop her "kill" and proceeded to bark happily at her triumph. Duplissa ran to both congratulate and control her friend while the others slowly entered the room to join them.

The Samurai was cleared frightened now. His eyes had shrunk back and were wide with fear. His body shook in uncontrolled spasms as cold fear crept up his spine and slowly flowed through his body. When it felt like he would literally freeze to his spot, he decided to move. Carefully at first, he took one step at a time to greet his "guests." He unsheathed his blade which now felt like a massive weight in his hands. Every inch of his body trembled and it seemed like forever before Mario finally appeared.

The man in red walked after the others had all entered. Graves stood near his side, ready to take action against the tyrant who had taken the Ninjis hostage. Janine was no where to be seen, but everyone else who was able was ready to fight.

"S-so! You m-managed to d-defeat m-my army!" The Samurai had difficulty choking out those words. He swore it felt like his body was trying to shut itself down and get him to stop. Nothing more than instinct, he thought. Still, he wished he could get a grip so he would be able to give them a good show. If he were to lose the Mega Star, he wanted to let Bowser know he had put up a fight. It would be...dishonorable...to fall in combat by cowardice.

Mario stepped forward and pulled out his hammer, preparing himself for imminent combat. He had faced six powerful fiends prior, so a seventh would be the last thing standing between himself and Bowser. As soon as this would be finished, the real journey would begin. The final Mega Star would be near, and with it the world would be saved. Now to just get rid of this annoyance.

The Samurai expected an attack already. He was still shaking, and still cold. Yet, neither Mario nor his allies had made a move to attack. It was as if they were frozen in time. Or waiting for something to happen. With that sudden realization, the Samurai's muscles finally kicked into gear. Adrenaline pumped feverishly through his body as he swung around, metal clashing against metal in swift movements. Janine the Ninji had snuck up on him, hoping to end the battle before it began. The Samurai grunted as he was thrown back from the block. Stumbling down the stairs onto the main floor, he regained his footing in time to find himself on the receiving end of attacks from all members of Mario's party. Thinking quickly, he slashed at some of the closer attacks and jumped at the same time, barely sticking his place on the first few steps. The icy feeling in his body had yet to dissipate, even with the adrenaline working through him.

"_Don't get cocky now_," a cool voice echoed throughout the Samurai's head. He paused and looked around wildly for the source. Guard dropped, Janine took the offensive once again and took a forward slash. The Samurai, caught by surprise, was cut at the right shoulder and down the back. His armor was cut through as if it were like butter, earning a cry of agony from the Samurai. Dropping to his knees, he let his sword escape from his hands and clatter onto the steps. Janine stood above him, about to make the final blow. Pity washed over her before she could. The cries of the Samurai began to soften as Janine let her sword fall to her side.

Shelly realized the situation before the others and shouted in warning. "Janine, don't drop your guard! He's about to return the attack!"

Janine opened her eyes in shock just as the Samurai swung around, his sword striking the Ninji girl at her small feet. She slumped down and fell face-first onto the steps, her legs unable to carry her after the hit. The Samurai grimaced, unhappy with the fallen body at his feet.

"What a waste," he commented. As he stood back on his feet and put away the idea of pain, the cold feeling dissipated. The Ninji was only a distraction at the moment, so he kicked her aside. Graves swooped in and grabbed her, tears streaking down her face. As he passed, the Goonie pirate dropped one of his bombs at the Samurai's feet, blowing him backwards up the stairs.

Screaming in pain as he landed atop his fresh wound, the Samurai violently convulsed on the ground. Graves flew back to safety behind the rest of the group with Janine, landing near Mario.

"Open the Partner Place, Mario! I'll take care of her and the other two, you guys just make sure this guy if taken out of commission."

Mario reacted swiftly, opening the pocket dimension and allowing the Goonie and Ninji to enter. The Samurai had sat up at this point, but the pain would not leave him. Not that it mattered, for the moment sense had begun to return to him Rose was upon him. The Chain Chomp ravaged through the room towards him, forcing those in the way to hurriedly move. She did not however have the opportunity to complete her assault.

The Samurai winced, ready to accept an unstoppable fate, but was surprised when it did not come. Opening his eyes, he caught sight of Rose's gaping maw mere inches away from his body, frozen in place. Confused about the occurrence, he looked to Mario and the others for an answer. Seeing they were equally puzzled over the situation, the Samurai scooted back a few steps.

Confident and grateful for the break granted him, the Samurai cautiously stood back up, wincing at the persisting pains in his body. He grinned, shouting, "Well looks like your effort to finish the job quickly failed, Mario!"

"Aw, will you just shut your blabbering already? Yeesh, I cannot believe Lord Bowser forced me to come out here to keep an eye on you."

The Samurai jerked his head around, finding none other than Kamek the Magikoopa sitting casually on his broom. Mario and the others were equally surprised; no one had seen the Magikoopa come in. Kamek shook his head and let his wand slide out from his right sleeve. Grabbing it, he began to toss the golden rod between both of his hands.

"You just couldn't hold your promises to Lord Bowser, could you Samurai?" Kamek let the question linger in the air. He smirked and began to twist his wand about in his left hand.

"Sad really. You had him a fool for a time, thinking you were capable of holding these weaklings back." Kamek's wand began glowing and with it a cluster of shapes swirled around the embedded ruby-red jewel.

Wide-eyed, the Samurai knew very well what Kamek was getting at. And he knew there was nothing more that he could do other than accept fate for what was coming. Gulping, he dropped from a sudden weakness in his knees. Begging to Kamek, his voice wavered as he said, "K-kamek! Have m-mercy, of all th-things! Please! I beg of y-you to let me live! I can finish the j-job!"

Kamek made a "tsk-tsk" sound and shook his head. Pushing his spectacles back to a resting position on his nose-bridge, he grinned at his victim. But before he dealt with the Samurai, Kamek paused to speak to Mario.

"My Lord Bowser expects your presence soon. Not much of a surprise, of course. He feared this would come, but he was readily prepared for the confrontation. Be sure you are as well. My Lord has been acting...differently, this time around. He has kept his plans for dealing with you secret, even from me. But know this: you shall fail. That much is guaranteed." Satisfied with the look of shock and disbelief from Mario and the rest of his ragtag team, Kamek returned attention to the Samurai.

"Goodbye," he said simply, flicking his wand to send a volley of shapes in the direction of the Samurai. The armored victim flinched, once again expecting the end to take him in violent and rapid succession. It did not, however. Slowly opening his eyes once more, the Samurai found the shapes circling around him.

"What is this?" he demanded. Fear was never this intense to him before, and now the feeling of ice began to return, and his entire body, even his thoughts, felt sluggish. Thanks to this, he failed to notice the shapes freeze in place. The ground began to sink within the area the shapes occupied, carrying the oblivious Samurai further into the ground. Eventually the ground gave way to a purple void, a black hole of sorts, sucking the Samurai in. Those who were near enough could see how the Samurai was shredded into confetti without a sound. They immediately turned away in disgust. Satisfied with his job, Kamek flew off, stopping only to give warning once again.

"Mario...you have been a worthy adversary to my Lord for many years now. You have experienced countless victories against him. Now it is his time to rise up. He shall vanquish you and your suicidal friends. And thus, the Old Mushroom Kingdom, followed by the world, shall fall to him."

Not waiting for a response, Kamek opened a portal and made his way through on his broomstick. The portal closed behind him, leaving an eerie silence to grip the heavily damaged room. Everyone had to take a moment to completely grasp the events which had just transpired. Duplissa was pleased to find Rose had been freed of her paralysis after Kamek had left, and the Duplighost was sure to embrace her friend. Shelly looked around to account for everyone.

"Graves, William, Luigi, and the new girl, Janine, are safely hidden away. The injured should be fine in Graves' care. And now Mario, Duplissa, Python, Rose, and myself are okay. Now just where is that Mega Star?"

Shelly did not have to wait long for her answer. A rumbling from deep below the floor preceded a growing bump from a section away from the group. A matter of seconds passed when the wooden boards ruptured and splintered out from the exit site. As the dust and debris cleared, the glowing form of the Mega Star twirled around the hole. It made its way towards the group and Mario pulled out the Star Navigator for the momentous event. Their journey had lasted what seemed like an eternity. They had conquered many foes, big and small, to reach the point at which they were now. And with this, the last Mega Star was in their possession. All that was left was defeating Bowser and rescuing the princess. Mario hardened his expression. He would not let preemptive celebration cloud his goal. There was still that final obstacle to overcome. And if anything Kamek said was true, then they had best be prepared for whatever the King of Koopas threw their way. Whatever it may be, they would deal with as it came. For now however, he needed to put the Mega Star away into the Navigator.

Everyone in the room watched expectantly as Mario reached for the final Mega Star. Yet something strange occurred when the plumber touched its golden surface. The room seemed to loose color, draining into a monochromatic appearance. Soon after, even that disappeared into a pitch black surrounding with no sense of direction or placement, not even light. Still, they were all able to see each other. That did not last long.

A whooshing sound, much like a gust of wind or waves breaking at the shore, emanated throughout the space. Mario noticed a stretching sensation throughout his body, and he realized his head was pulling away from his feet as he gained height, much like the others were at the moment. It lasted a while, as they all twisted around and were pulled out into what looked like individual yarns, all spiraling further upwards, infinitely closer together. And eventually they met at a single point, and disappeared from sight.

* * *

**And that completes the primary set of events. But not the story. No, we still have another two, three, maybe even four chapter to go. I don't care how long it will take to get those done, but I will do it. You guys have my word. College stuff is nearly done now so I have a lot of time in the coming weeks (All I have to worry about is deciding. I mean, what do you expect when you've been accepted to all 10 colleges you applied to?) and that should give me plenty of writing time. I have my other fanfic to write as well, but I think I will focus more on this for the time being just to get it done. I owe you all that much.**

**Thanks for putting up with the lengthy pauses between chapters, guys. I will see you next time, when Mario begins the final assault at Bowser's castle!**


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